LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 



TE > 



©In'! — <i>w>s¥ $&.- 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



PRACTICAL 



LESSONS IN LANGUAGE 



BY 

V 



BENJAMIN Y. CONKLIN 

Principal of Grammar School No. 3, Brooklyn, N.Y. 



>**:< 




NEW YORK •:• CINCINNATI •:• CHICAGO 

AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 



\\ 



"< 












Copyright, 1893, 
By AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY. 



B>rinteo at 
Zbe Eclectic Iptese 
<tinannati, W. S. a 



TO THE TEACHER. 



The language lessons in this book are intended to cover the 
last two years of the primary course, and they are graded to 
suit the capacity of pupils as they advance. The reviews under 
the head of "Things to Remember" indicate the divisions of 
the book into the work for each half year. 

It will be noticed that the lessons are arranged under the two 
heads, " Things to Notice " and " Things to Do." 

Under the head of " Things to Notice " will be found develop- 
ment questions, and the deductions drawn from answers to such 
questions. 

Under the head of "Things to Do" the exercises are varied, 
and of such a nature as to interest the pupil. Indeed, the aim 
throughout the book is to lead the pupil to see and to think for 
himself. 

Every pupil should be provided with a book, to prevent the 
serious loss of time that must inevitably take place in getting 
the necessary exercises before the class in any other way. Be- 
sides, the memory is greatly aided by contact of the eye with 
the printed page. 

Only such thoughts as are clearly grasped by the mind can 
be intelligently expressed ; therefore in preparing a composition 
exercise it should be the aim of the teacher to see that pupils 
clearly comprehend the thoughts they are about to express in 
their own language. 

3 



4 

The correction of compositions in primary classes should gen- 
erally be done during the time devoted to writing them. The 
teacher can be more helpful to pupils by passing from one to 
another, making corrections, answering questions, and offering 
suggestions during the hour of writing, than by making formal 
corrections after the compositions are written. 

By pursuing this course, and by carefully reading one or more 
sets of compositions through, the teacher will soon discover which 
pupils need assistance most, and thus be able to give help where 
it will do the most good. 



PRACTICAL 

LESSONS IN LANGUAGE 




I. A PICTURE STORY. 

To the Teacher. — Each answer to a question should be a com- 
plete sentence ; thus, " How many people do you see in this picture ? " 
Answer : " I see two girls in this picture." The teacher should not 
confine herself exclusively to the questions here given : other questions 
will naturally suggest themselves. 

Things to Notice. — What are the children in this pic- 
ture doing ? How many children are there ? How many 
of them are girls ? 

Are Jack and Rosa turning the rope steadily ? What 
is little Susie about to do ? Do you think Jack and Rosa 
are kind to turn the rope for their little sister to jump ? 

Things to Do. — Look at the picture and tell its story 
in your own words. 

5 



6 

MODEL. 

The children in this picture are jumping rope. 
There are three children: two of them are girls, and 
the other is a boy. Jack and Rosa are turning the 
rope for little Susie to jump. I think they are very 
kind to their little sister. 

II. ANOTHER STORY FROM THE PICTURE. 

To the Teacher. — When a question is followed by " Why ? " as 
in some of the following, the full answer should be given to the first 
question ; then the answer to the " Why ? " should be combined with 
the first answer : thus, " I think Susie is the youngest, because she is 
the smallest.' 1 '' Go over the questions often enough to impress the facts 
on the pupils' minds. 

Things to Notice. — What are the names of the thiee 
children jumping rope in the picture ? 

Which child stands on the right of the picture ? Which 
stands on the left ? Where is Susie ? 

Which do you think is the youngest ? Why ? 

Which do you think is the next older ? Why ? 

Which do you think is the oldest ? Why ? 

Things to Do. — Tell in your own words a second story 
of the picture. 

III. SUPPLYING SUITABLE WORDS. 

To the Teacher. — Read each of the following sentences with an 
intermission of the voice at the blank spaces, and require pupils while 
looking at the picture to supply the proper words. 



i. There are three in this picture. 

2. There are two in this . 

3. There is one in picture. 

4. The name of the largest child is 



5. The of the child is Susie. 

6. Jack stands on the side of the . 

7. Rosa on the left of the picture. 

8. I think is the youngest, she is the . 

IV. STORIES FOR REPRODUCTION. 

To the Teacher. — Each of the following little stories for repro- 
duction should be read by the teacher slowly and distinctly, once only ; 
then a number of pupils should be called upon to tell the story as 
nearly in their own words as possible. 

Two little boys went out to pick strawberries. 
One ate all he picked, and the other carried his 
home to his sick sister. 

Jimmy is a little boy. Prince is a big dog. 
They live in the country and play together out in 
the fields. When the sun is too hot for them to 
play, they lie down under a big horse-chestnut tree 
and take a nap. 

Joseph was sitting in a car. A lady came in and 
stood right in front of him. As soon as he saw 
that she had no seat, he gave her his. Then the 
lady said he was a little gentleman; and so he 
was. 



8 

To the Teacher. — Lessons similar to the foregoing (and other 
suitable lessons) should be prepared by the teacher for the lower 
grades of the primary course, in which no text-book is used. 

To be Memorized. 

Am I growing better ? 

Teacher, can you say 
I am growing better — 

Better every day ? 

V. SENTENCES AND CAPITALS. 

Things to Do. — Read the following groups of words : — 





^t^^tJy 







Things to Notice. — How many groups of words have 
you read ? Does the first group of words make sense ? 
Read it. Does each of the other groups make sense ? 
Read them. 

Will the first group make sense if you leave out eat? 
Read this group and leave out Chickens. Does it make 
sense ? Read it, leaving out the last two words, and see 
if it makes sense. 



9 

A group of words making complete sense is called a 
sentence. 

Does the first sentence begin with a large letter, or a 
small letter? With what kind of a letter does each of 
the other sentences begin ? A large letter is called a 
capital letter. 

Every sentence should begin with a capital letter. 

Things to Do. — Now write these four sentences, being 
careful to begin each with a capital letter. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson dictate the four sentences 
at the beginning of the above lesson, to be written, and have the 
pupils add a fifth sentence, telling with what a hen is covered ; then 
ask questions similar to the foregoing. 

To be Memorized. 

Always write your very best, 

Or do not write at all ; 
Make each letter as you should ; 

Some large, and others small. 

VI. STATEMENTS AND PERIODS. 

Things to Do. — Read the following groups of words : — 

A hen has two legs and two wings. The wings 
of a hen are covered with feathers. Chickens are 
pretty little creatures. They have little wings. 

Things to Notice. — How many groups of words have 
you read ? With what does each group begin and end ? 
Does each group make sense ? Is each group a sentence ? 
Why? 



IO 

Does the first sentence tell or state something ? Does 
the second sentence ? The third ? The fourth ? A sen- 
tence that tells or states something is called a statement. 
How many of these four sentences are statements ? 

What kind of mark do you see after the first state- 
ment ? This dot or mark is called a period. Does each 
of the other statements end with a period ? 

Every statement should end with a period. 

Things to Do. — Write the statements at the beginning 
of this lesson, being careful to begin each with a capital, 
and to place a period at the end of each. 

Now write the same four sentences without any capitals 
or periods. 

Things to Notice. — In those you wrote last can you see 
as plainly where each statement begins and ends as you 
can in those you wrote before ? Can you read them as 
easily ? Why not ? Try to read them. 

Why is the period used ? What do capitals show ? Do 
capitals and periods help us in reading ? How ? 

VII. FORM, AND THE HYPHEN. 

Things to Do. — Write the following sentences just as they 
are here printed : — 

Jack met two boys drawing a cart with apples in it. 

The boys found the apples on the ground, under 
the trees. 

The basket in the cart is full of large, ripe, yel- 
low apples. 



II 

Things to Notice. — Notice where each sentence begins. 
How do you tell how many sentences you have copied ? 
How many lines in each sentence ? Which line in the 
second sentence begins farther to the right, — the first, or 
the second ? Did you copy it correctly ? With what 
does each sentence begin ? With what does each end ? 

In the last sentence the word basket is made up of two 
parts, bas-ket. Each of these parts is called a syllable. 
How many syllables in yellow ? How many in apples ? 

One syllable of yellow is written on one line, and the 
other syllable on the next line. This is done because 
there was not room for both syllables on the first line. 

The mark (-) after yel shows that the word is not fin- 
ished. This mark is called a hyphen. What does a period 
show ? What does a hyphen at the end of a line show ? 

To the Teacher. — Dictate the above sentences, to be written. 
In writing from dictation, young pupils should always be told when to 
begin a new paragraph. 

To be Memorized. 

I must not tease my mother, 

For she is very kind, 
And everything she says to me 

I must directly mind. 

VIII. QUESTIONS AND QUESTION MARKS. 
Things to Do. — Write the following groups of words : — 

i. Has the boy a basket in his hand? 

2. What has he in the basket ? 

3. Are there six eggs in the basket ? 



12 

Things to Notice. — Does the first group of words make 
sense ? Does it state something ? Does it ask a question ? 

What do we call a group of words that make sense ? 
This first group, then, is a sentence that asks a question. 
Do the other two groups make sense ? Do they make 
statements ? Do they ask questions ? 

Notice that each ends with a mark different from a 
period. The mark (?) at the end of each of these three 
sentences is called a question mark. 

With what kind of letter does each question begin ? 
What kind of mark should be placed at the end of a 
question? Are the sentences in Lesson VII. questions, 
or are they statements ? 

A sentence that asks a question should end with a ques- 
tion mark. 

IX. STATEMENTS AND QUESTIONS. 

Things to Do. — Write the following, being careful to 
begin each group of sentences as it is here : — 

i. The boy in the barn has a basket in his hand. 
Do you think he is looking for eggs ? I think he 
is, because he now has some eggs in the basket. 

2. The hen has just left her nest, in which there 
are six eggs. I see another nest in the barn, in 
which there are three eggs. Do you think the boy 
will soon get his basket full of eggs ? 

Things to Notice. — Into how many groups of sentences 
is this exercise divided ? 



13 

How many sentences in the first group ? Read them. 
How many of them are questions ? How many of them 
are statements ? 

How many sentences in the second group ? Read them. 
How many of them are questions ? 

Which line in the first group begins farther to the right 
than the other lines ? What word begins this line ? 

Which line of the second group begins farther to the 
right than the other lines ? What word begins this line ? 

X. REPRODUCTION, AND QUOTATION MARKS. 

Things to Do. — After reproducing orally from dicta- 
tion, write each of the following stories, using capitals and 
periods correctly : — 

My name is Maud. When I was four years old 
I went to a party. A little girl fell out of her 
chair, and all the children laughed but me. I did 
not laugh, because I was the girl that fell. 

Once a little girl, while on her way to get some 
milk, dropped her pitcher and broke it. She was 
afraid to tell her mamma how careless she had 
been, and was going to say that some one had 
pushed her. But she changed her mind just in 
time, and said, " No, I would rather take a scold- 
ing than tell a lie." Then she told her mamma 
just how it happened. 

Things to Notice. — Notice the marks ( " ) before No, 
and the marks (") after lie. These marks show that the 



14 

words No, I would rather take a scolding than tell a lie, 

are not the words of the writer of the story. They are 

the exact words of some other person. These marks are 

called quotation marks. 

Do the marks before No turn the same way as those 

after lie f 

To be Memorized. 

He that does one fault at first, 
And lies to hide it, makes it two. 

XI. A PICTURE STORY. 




Things to Notice. — How many people are standing on 
the wharf ? How many of them are men ? How many 
of them are women ? 

What are the two men and two women standing to- 
gether waiting for ? Is the steamboat coming up to the 



i5 

wharf? What do you see on the wharf near the four 
people standing together ? What do you think these four 
people are going to do ? Why ? 

At what do you think the man standing alone is look- 
ing ? Do you see any people on this sailing vessel ? What 
difference do you see between this boat and the steam- 
boat ? On which kind of boat would you rather sail ? 

Things to Do. — Tell the story of the picture in your own 
words, then write it. 

To the Teacher. — For another story let pupils tell what they 
think the people standing together are talking about. 

To be Memorized. 

Leave not your work 

Till it is done ; 
First do your task, 

Then have your fun. 

XII. SUPPLYING SUITABLE WORDS. 

Things to Do. — Read the following sentences carefully, 
and supply orally suitable words to fill the blanks ; then 
write the sentences, supplying words as before : — 

i. Four are standing together on the . 

2. Two of — are gentlemen, and — of them are — . 

3. A and a are beside them on the wharf. 

4. The ladies and are for the . 

5. The man alone is for the sailing vessel. 

6. These are together. 

7. They soon be on board the . 



i6 

XIII. PARAGRAPHS. 

Things to Do. — Write the following sentences correctly : — 

i. Four people are standing together near the 
end of the wharf. Do you think they are waiting 
for the steamboat ? 

2. A man is standing at the side of the wharf, 
looking at the sailing vessel. Do you see any 
people on board of this vessel ? The vessel is 
sailing toward the wharf. 

Things to Notice. — How many sentences have you 
written ? How many sentences in the first three lines ? 
Read them. Are they statements, or questions ? 

How many sentences in the next four lines ? Read 
them. How many of them are questions ? How many of 
them are statements ? 

The first two sentences tell about the four people and 
the steamboat : therefore they are written one after another 
in one group, called a paragraph. 

The other three sentences all tell about the man and the 
vessel : therefore they are written one after another in a 
group by themselves, forming another paragraph. 

In the first group of sentences what mark separates the 
first sentence from the second ? What besides the question 
mark separates the second paragraph from the first? This 
space also makes it easier to read the sentences. 

Which two lines begin farther to the right than the 
other lines? With what word does each paragraph 
begin ? 



i7 
To be Memorized. 

He who is honest is noble, whatever his fortune or birth. 
Be not only good, be good for something. 

XIV. SUPPLYING SUITABLE WORDS, AND PARAGRAPHS. 

Things to Do. — Supply orally suitable ivords in the 
blank spaces in the following story of the picture ; then 
write the story, supplying words as before : — 

In this picture there are people on the 

wharf. Three of these people are , and two 

are . 

I think the four people together are gentle- 
men and g om g away on the steamboat, be- 
cause they have their baggage with them. 

The other man seems to be for the sailing 

vessel, is coming up to the wharf. There are 

a number of people on this vessel. 

This has sails, and is driven by the wind. 

The steamboat has no , but is by steam. 

I think I rather sail on the steamboat, 

because it travels faster the sailing . 

On which vessel would you rather sail ? 

Things to Notice. — This story is separated into five 
paragraphs, because there are five different things writ- 
ten about. Name the word beginning each paragraph. 

The following outline shows plainly what each para- 
graph is written about. 

LES. IN LANG. 2 



1. The people on the wharf. 

2. What four of them are going to do. 

3. The other person and the sailing vessel. 

4. What makes each boat move. 

5. How you would rather sail. 

Things to Do. — Having the above outline written upon 
the blackboard as a guide > write the story in five paragraphs. 

XV. NAMES OF PERSONS, AND INITIALS. 

Things to Do. — Read the following sentences : — 

1. The flowers are for Mary. 

2. The dog bit Mabel Brown. 

3. We just met Ralph Waldo Curtis. 

4. James met Ralph W. Curtis yesterday. 

5. We all know R. W. Curtis. 

Things to Notice. — With what kind of letter does each 
sentence begin ? What other words begin with capital 
letters ? Are these words names of persons ? 

How many words in the name of the person mentioned 
in the first sentence? How many in that in the second? 
In the third ? 

In the fourth sentence the capital letter W stands for 
Waldo. For what do the R and the W stand in the fifth 
sentence ? The first letter of a word is called the initial 
letter. Is there a period after the initials which stand for 
the name of a person ? 

Each word in a person's name should begin with a 
capital letter. 



19 

An initial letter used in place of a name should be a cap- 
ital with a period after it. 

Things to Do. — Write these five sentences {and ot/iers), 
using capitals and periods correctly. 

XVI. THE WORDS I AND O- 

i. I have two little sisters. 

2. Do I love them ? 

3. O yes, I love them very dearly. 

4. Do I love them just alike ? 

5. O yes, I know I do. 

Things to Notice. — In this exercise I is used by itself 
six times, and O is used twice in the same way. 

When / and O are used alone in a sentence in this way, 
they are words. 

The words I and O should always be capitals. 

Things to Do. — Write (frojn dictation) the foregoing sen- 
tences, and also the following : — 

1. Did I hurt your arm? 

2. O yes, you hurt it slightly. 

3. May I have this large apple ? 

4. Can I lift this large box ? 

5. Shall I have to wait long ? 

6. O no, you may go now. 

7. May I go with you ? 

Change each of the foregoing questions to a statement. 



20 

To be Memorized. 

He who is most slow in making a promise is the most 
quick to keep it. 

How poor are they that have not patience ! 

XVII. NAMES SHOWING OWNERSHIP. 

Things to Do. — Write the following sente?ices, being care- 
ful to notice any change made in the same name ttsed in two 
lifferent sentences : — 



i. Julia sits at the table. 

2. Julia's dress is new. 

3. Pussy is also at the table. 

4. Pussy's paws are on the table. 

5. The girl is looking at pussy. 

6. The girl's ringer points at pussy. 

Things to Notice. — In the first sentence which two words 
are names ? Spell Julia. Is this name in the second sen- 
tence spelled differently ? By reading the second sentence 
who do you think owns or possesses the dress ? What word 
shows this ? What difference in the spelling shows this ? 

The comma used with s ('j) in this way (a little above 
the letter) is called an apostrophe, and the two together 
(V) are called apostrophe-s. 

When apostrophe-s is added to the name of the owner, 
it shows ownership or possession. 

Things to Do. — After spelling pussy, pussy's, girl, 
girl's, write from dictation the six sentences, being careful 
to write correctly the names showing possession. 



21 



XVIII. A PICTURE STORY. 



^J ': r ^ ry^f'ii^l^'^^ ! 




Things to Notice. — What is little Julia in this picture 
doing ? Why do you think she is eating breakfast alone ? 
Do you think she got up too late to eat with her family ? 
Do you not think it would be better for her to rise earlier ? 
Why? 

What do you think pussy wants ? What is Julia saying 
to pussy ? How many plates on the table ? What do you 
think is on each ? 

What do you think Julia has in the tumbler to drink ? 
What else is there on the table ? What kind of flowers 
are in the vase ? Do, you think they smell very sweet ? 

Things to Do. — Write the story of the picture. 

To the Teacher. — Require a number of pupils to tell stories of 
the picture, allowing them to draw on the imagination as largely as 
may be desirable. 



22 
XIX. SUPPLYING SUITABLE WORDS, AND PARAGRAPHS. 

Things to Do. — Supply orally the proper words in the 
blank spaces in the following story of the picture ; then 
write the story \ supplying the proper words : — 

julia's breakfast. 

In this picture the little girl, ■ name is Julia, 

is sitting at the table, her breakfast alone. 

I she got up late to eat with the rest 

of the family. 

Julia's papa likes to have her at the with 

him. Do you not think it would be — — for her 
to please him by rising ? 

Pussy seems to want some of Julia's ; but 

she says to her, " No, , you cannot have 

any. 

There are three on the table. One 

meat and potato on it, another has bread, and 

has butter. There is also a goblet of standing 

by Julia's . 

is a vase of roses in the middle of the 



, and I think they smell very . Would 

you like a vase of pretty flowers ? 

Things to Notice. — There are five paragraphs in this 
story, because five different things are written about. 

The following outline shows what each of the five para- 
graphs is written about. 



23 

1. Julia is alone at the table. Why ? 

2. Her papa's wish and her duty. 

3. Pussy's wish and Julia's answer. 

4. The plates of food on the table. 

5. The vase of roses in the middle. 

Things to Do. — Write this outline as a guide, and re- 
produce the story in five paragraphs. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson dictate the story to be 
written, the teacher supplying the proper words for the blank spaces. 



XX. TO BE MEMORIZED. 
To the Teacher. — These selections to be memorized should be 



Wanted — a boy who is manly and just, 
One that you feel you may honor and trust. 

As welcome as sunshine in every place 

Is the beautiful smile of a good-natured face. 

Always tell the truth, my boy, 

Never tell a lie ; 
You can keep from doing wrong 

If you only try. 



XXI. LETTER WRITING AND PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Copy the following letter. 



24 







y^Z^ 







z^^yn/, 





25 

Things to Notice. — Notice the little mark (,) after Dear 
Papa. This mark is called a comma. The comma, the 
period, and the question mark are called punctuation 
marks. 

What punctuation marks in the first line of the letter, 
containing the date ? Notice where other commas are 
placed. • 

Notice the use of capitals and of the apostrophe, and 
also the general form of the letter. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson require pupils to write the 
letter from dictation, and see that they pay special attention to the 
form of the letter. 

XXII. LETTER WRITING. 

Things to Do. — Write letters, using the following hints 
as a guide. Write each in the form of the letter in the pre- 
ceding lesson. 

Suppose your cousin has loaned you a book, and you 
have nearly finished reading it. Tell in two paragraphs 
how you like it as far as you have read, and when you 
will probably return it. 

You are to spend Saturday afternoon at your aunt's. 
Invite one of your playmates to go with you. Mention 
what you will do if he or she will go with you. 

XXIII. THE PARTS OF A STATEMENT. 

Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

i. This girl sews neatly. 
2. The fire burns brightly. 



26 

3- Some men paint pictures. 

4. Some animals eat flesh. 

5. The dog barks loudly. 

6. The cook makes bread. 

Things to Notice. — In the first statement something is 
told or saicf about This girl, and the words that do the 
telling or saying are sews neatly. In each of the other 
statements is something said about a person or thing, and 
are there other words which say something ? 

A statement, then, is made up of two parts, — the part 
about which something is said, and the part that says 
something. 

In the first sentence This girl, being the part talked 
about, may be called the subject of the sentence ; and the 
chief word, girl, may be called the subject word. 

In the part sews neatly, is sews the chief word used 
in telling something about the subject ? 

Things to Do. — Select the subject word in the second 
sentence above, also the chief word used in telling about 
fire. 

Do the same with the other sentences. Read the two chief 
words in each sentence ; thus, girl — sews. 

XXIV. THE PARTS OF A STATEMENT. 

i. A spider spins a web. 

2. Spiders spin webs. 

3. This man builds ships. 

4. Some men build ships. 



27 

Things to Notice. — In the first sentence what is the 
subject word ? Does it mean one, or more than one ? 
What is the chief word used in telling about A spider? 
What is the subject word in the second sentence? Does 
it mean one, or more than one ? How does the chief 
word that tells about spiders differ from the chief word 
that tells about A spider •? 

In the third sentence what is the subject word? In the 
fourth sentence ? Which means one, and which more than 
one ? What is the chief word that tells about men ? About 
This man ? How does the chief word that tells about men 
differ from the chief word that tells about This man ? 

Read the four sentences. In the second sentence why 
is spins changed to spin ? In the fourth sentence why is 
builds changed to build? 

When a statement is made about more than one person 
or thing, the chief word that tells seldom ends with s. 



XXV. SENTENCE WRITING. 

Things to Do. — Write se7itences saying something 
about — 

birds father John boy 

tree apples cousin ships 

Things to Do. — Write two statements about each of the 
follozving : — 

violet bee flower top 

cows brother book oranges 



28 

Thus, i. The violet is blue. 

The violet is a small flower. 

2. Cows live on grass. 
Cows give milk. 

XXVI. JOINING SENTENCES. 

To the Teacher. — Children can express readily a single discon- 
nected thought in proper language, but it is difficult for them properly 
to express related thoughts in combination : therefore this part of lan- 
guage work should be begun early, and persisted in all through the 
language course. 

Things to Do. — Read the following sets of sentences : — 

i. The violet is blue. 2. Cows eat grass. 

The violet is a small flower. Cows give milk. 

Things to Notice. — What is the part about which some- 
thing is said in the first sentence ? In the second sen- 
tence ? We see that something is said about the violet 
in each sentence. 

In the second set something is said about cows in each 
sentence. If we join each set into a single sentence, we 
shall have the following : — 

1. The violet is a small blue flower. 

2. Cows eat grass and give milk. 

We see that a period is placed at the end of each con- 
nected statement. We also see that in the second sen- 
tence the joining word and is used in combining the two 



29 

statements, so that they will read more smoothly. In the 
first sentence no joining word is needed. 

What word is found in the second sentence that is not 
found in the set of single statements ? Why is it used ? 

Things to Do. — In the same way combine the following 
sets of statements, using and for a joining or connecting 
zuord when necessary, and also using it, he, she, or they, 
to prevent repeating the subject word : — 

i. These apples are ripe. 
They are good to eat. 

2. This orange is large. 
This orange is yellow. 

3. John learned his lesson. 

He recited his lesson correctly. 

4. My brother goes to school. 
My brother is a good scholar. 

5. Roses bloom early. 

Roses are beautiful flowers. 

6. This top is new. 

This top spins a long time. 

7. My cousin arrived yesterday. 
My cousin will stay a week. 

8. Boots are made of leather. 
Shoes are made of leather. 



30 

To the Teacher. — After pupils have written these sets of sentences 
in combination, the work should be carefully examined, and pupils 
should be required to correct errors pointed out by the teacher, or 
detected by themselves, without giving reasons, except perhaps in 
observing the conclusion reached in Lesson XXIV. 



XXVII. PUNCTUATION AND CAPITALS. 

Things to Do. — Read each of the following exercises ; and 
tell why each period, question mark, and capital letter is 
used ; also tell which sentences are single statements, and 
which are connected statements, and whether there are any 
sentences which are not statements. 

A large rat stole an egg from a nest. The 
hen ran to her nest, and the rat ran away. The 
next day this rat was caught in a trap. Are chil- 
dren afraid of rats ? Rats are very destructive 
animals. 

I see three cows in the pasture. Cows eat 
grass in summer, but they feed on hay in the 
winter. Cheese and butter are made from the 
milk of the cow. Some people like milk very 
much. Buttermilk is also a very nice drink, but 
some people do not like it. Boots and shoes are 
made from the skin of the cow after it is made 
into leather. 

Copy each of the above stories, separating the first into 
two paragraphs and the second into three paragraphs, using 
capitals and punctuation marks where they belong. 



3i 



XXVIII. A PICTURE STORY. 




Things to Notice. — How many persons are shown in 
this picture ? On what are they standing ? Where is the 
rock ? 

How did they get to it ? Would the boat have drifted 
away had it been securely fastened ? 

Is the rock above the water at low tide ? Is it covered 
with water at high tide ? Of what are the children afraid ? 
Do you think there is any danger of their being drowned ? 
Why? 

What is James, the oldest one, holding in his hand ? 
Why is Mary's apron fastened to the end of the oar ? 
Why is Harry shouting ? 

Do you think that some one on the shore will see the 
apron on the end of the oar or hear Harry shout, and 
come to save them ? 



32 

To the Teacher. — Require a number of pupils to tell a story of 
the picture, allowing them to draw on the imagination as largely as 
may be desirable. 

XXIX. SUPPLYING SUITABLE WORDS. 

Things to Do. — Supply suitable words orally in the blank 
spaces in the following story of the picture ; then write the 
story, supplying the proper words : — 

THE CHILDREN ON THE ROCK. 

There are three shown in this picture, 

standing a rock surrounded — water. 

They came to the in a boat, but the boys 

very thoughtless not to the boat securely. 

Now the is drifting farther and farther away 

them, so that have no way of getting 

back the shore. 

When the tide is low, the rock is above the — — ; 

but at high the water rises above the rock. 

So they afraid the will and cover 

the before any one sees that they are in danger 

of being . 

James, the oldest one, is holding up an oar with 

Mary's tied fast to it, so that some one on the 

shore may it, and come to them with a boat. 

Harry is shouting, hoping to make — — one hear 
him; and Mary stands waiting for some one to hear 

Harry or to her apron, and come to take 

to the shore. 



33 

Things to Notice. — This story is divided into six para- 
graphs, and the following outline shows what is written 
about in each paragraph : — 

i. Three children on a rock. 

2. How they got there. 

3. What happened to the boat. 

4. The tide and the rock. 

5. The sign of danger. 

6. Waiting for help. 

Things to Do. — Rewrite the story from an outline on the 
blackboard as a guide, being careful to make six paragraphs, 
and to use capitals, periods, and question marks correctly. 

XXX. TO BE MEMORIZED. 

To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved. 

We can never be too careful 

What seeds our hands may sow ; 

Love from love is sure to ripen, 
Hate from hate is sure to grow. 

He that is good at making excuses is seldom good for 
anything else. 

Be to your playmates kind and true ; 

Do them no hurt or harm ; 
As you would have them do to you, 
So you must do to them. 

XXXI. PARAGRAPHS. 

Things to Do. — Write the following exercise, separating 
it into two paragraphs. 

LES. IN LANG. 3 




34 

James has pulled up a plant from the garden. 
This little plant has leaves, a stem, and a root. 
On the stem are pretty green leaves. 
The branching root is at the lower end 
of the plant. Do you see what a pretty 
plant it is ? Why does the plant have 
leaves ? The leaves gather food for 
the plant from the air and the sunshine. 
Why does the plant have roots ? The 
roots hold the plant fast in the ground, 
and also supply it with water and food. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson dictate the above for an 
exercise in punctuation. 

XXXII. THINGS TO BE REMEMBERED. 

To the Teacher. — Pupils should be required to know the sub- 
stance of the following review, not necessarily the exact words. 

A group of words making complete sense is called a sentence. 

Every sentence should begin with a capital letter. 

Every statement should end with a period. 

A sentence that asks a question should end with a question mark. 

Each word in a person's name should begin with a capital letter. 

An initial letter used in place of a name should be a capital 
with a period after it. 

The words I and O should always be capitals. 

The apostrophe-s {'s) is added to the name of the owner to 
show possession. 

When a statement is made about more than one person or 
thing, the chief word that tells should seldom end with s. 



35 

XXXIII. COMMANDS AND COMMAS. 

i. John, shut the door. 

2. Do not slam it. 

3. Drop this letter into the dox, James. 

4. Do not lose it on the way. 

5. Here, Mary, take this child away. 

6. May you always be happy. 

7. Please write as soon as you can. 

Things to Notice. — Is the first sentence a statement? 
Does it assert a fact ? Does it ask a question ? Does it 
make a command? How many of these seven sentences 
make commands ? 

In the first and third sentences what punctuation mark 
separates the name of the person spoken to from the rest 
of the command ? What punctuation mark is used at the 
end of each of the seven sentences ? 

Does the sixth sentence express a command ? Does it 
express a wish ? Does the seventh sentence express a 
wish, or a request ? 

Each of the first five sentences expresses a command ; 
the sixth sentence, a wish ; and the seventh, a request. 

In the third and fifth sentences notice that James and 
Mary are separated from the rest of the sentence by 
commas. 

A sentence that expresses a wish, a request, or a com- 
mand should end with a period. 

The name of the person spoken to in a sentence express- 
ing a wish, a request, or a command should be separated by 
a comma, or by two commas, from the rest of the sentence. 



36 

Things to Do. — Write the seven preceding sentences from 
dictation, being careful to punctuate properly. 

Read the following carefully., and give reasons for the 
punctuation : — 

Come, boys, let us have a good time fishing this 
morning. I will go to the shore for bait, after 
which I will prepare the lines. 

Henry, you ask mother to put up some lunch, 
and tell her we shall be gone all day. 

Isn't this a fine day for fishing? I think we 
shall catch a fine lot of fish. Is the lunch ready? 
John, please bring the basket. 

Now write the above from dictation, being careful to 
punctuate properly. 

XXXIV. NAMES. 

Things to Notice. — On all sides of us we see persons, 
animals, places, and things, and all these objects have 
names. 

The words man, boy, cousin, John, are names of persons. 

The words dog, deer, horse, fox, are names of animals. 

The words city, park, island, Boston, are names of places. 

The words desk, tree, pencil, finger, are names of things. 

What is an object ? Ans. An object is any person, 
animal, place, or thing that has or may have a name. 
Objects are things : names are words. 

Is the word desk an object? Is it the name of an 
object? Is your pencil an object, or the name of an 



37 

object ? Is the boy sitting near you an object, or a name ? 
If I call him boy or James, what are these two words ? 
Is your hat a name ? What is your hat ? 

Things to Do. — Mention five names of persons, five of 
places, five of animals , five of things, not found in this 
lesson. 

Mention the names in each of the following sentences, 
then tell which name is the subject word in each sentence : — 

i. The fox is a sly animal. 

2. Some animals are quadrupeds. 

3. Some leaves have notches on their edges. 

4. Reptiles live on the land. 

5. An herb has a woody stem. 

6. An herb dies down to the root every year. 

7. A shrub has several hardy stems. 

8. A currant bush is a shrub. 

9. A tree has one stem and many branches. 

Write the sentences, and name tJie subject word in each, 
also the chief word that tells. Change each statement into 
a question. 

XXXV. NAMES MEANING MORE THAN ONE. 

i. The boy studies. 6. The boys study. 

2. The girl sings. 7. The girls sing. 

3. The bell rings. 8. The bells ring. 

4. The fox runs. 9. Foxes run rapidly. 

5. The watch ticks. 10. Watches tick. 



38 

Things to Notice. — Which of the names in these ten 
sentences mean only one person ? Which only one thing? 
Which of these names mean more than one person or 
thing ? 

How does boy differ in meaning from boys ? How does 
boys differ in spelling from boy ? How does the spelling 
of girls and bells differ from the spelling of girl and bell? 
How does the spelling of foxes and watches differ from 
the spelling of fox and watch ? What letters are added 
to fox to make it mean more than one ? 

We see that a name is made to mean more than one by 
adding s or es. 

A name, then, has two forms, — a form that means only 
one, and a form that means more than one : as, boy, boys ; 
box, boxes. 

A name is usually made to mean more than one by- 
adding s or es. 

Things to Do. — Change orally each of the following 
statements about a single thing so as to say something about 
more than one : — 

i. The owl hoots. 7. The swallow twitters. 

2. The bird flies. 8. The hen cackles. 

3. The star twinkles. 9. The brook murmurs. 

4. The flower blooms. 10. The tree grows. 

5. The cock crows. 11. The child learns. 

6. The fish swims. 12. The sun rises. 

Now write all of the twelve sentences under each other, 
then to the right of each rewrite so as to say something about 
more than one. [See Lesson XXIV.] 



39 

Things to Do. — Write the following names in a column 
on the left side of your slate, then to the right of each write 
the name so that it shall 7nean more than one : — 

ax gas topaz brush arch match 

box glass waltz fish bench crutch 

fox class dish wish peach coach 

tax dress bush mesh church watch 

Write five sentences making statements or asking ques- 
tions about any of these names meaning only one, and five 
sente?ices about names meaning more than one : — 



mouse 


mice 


ox 


oxen 


child 


children 



XXXVI. NAMES MEANING MORE THAN ONE. 

man men 

woman women 

foot feet 

goose geese 

Things to Notice. — What letter in man is changed to 
form men ? Does men mean more than one ? What 
change is made in foot to form feet ? What change in 
mouse to form mice ? How is ox made to mean more than 
one ? How is child made to mean more than one ? In 
which two columns do the names mean only one ? In 
which two columns do the names mean more than one ? 

A few names, then, are made to mean more than one 
by a change in one or more letters. 

Things to Do. — Spell each name in the first and third 
columns, and tell what change is made in each to make it 
mean more than one. Spell the remaining words. 



40 

XXXVII. NAMES SHOWING POSSESSION. 

1. The boy cried. 4. The boy's eyes are red. 

2. Two boys cried. 5. Both boys' eyes are red. 

3. The men sang. 6. The men's voices were fine. 

Things to Notice. — In the first sentence does boy mean 
one, or more than one ? In the fourth sentence how is 
boy changed to show possession ? In the second sentence 
does boys mean one, or more than one ? Why is the s 
added ? 

In the fifth sentence how is boys made to show posses- 
sion ? What is added to show possession ? In the third 
sentence does men mean one, or more than one ? Does it 
end in s ? How is the possessive form of men spelled in 
the sixth sentence ? 

When a name meaning more than one ends in s, the 
apostrophe alone (') is added to the s to show possession. 

To all other names both the apostrophe and s ('s) are 
added. 

Things to Do. — Write the following correctly in every 
respect : — 

Three boys and three girls went to the grove to 
gather chestnuts. 

John carried the boys' lunch basket, and William 
politely offered to take the girls' basket. 

On the way, Mary's shawl was caught on a sharp 
twig, but Henry soon unfastened it. 

When they arrived at the grove, they found the 



41 

nuts so plentiful that the children's baskets were 
soon rilled. 

Now rewrite from dictation, and be careful to write cor- 
rectly the words showing possession. 

XXXVIII. COMPOSITION. 

Things to Notice. — Notice how the following composi- 
tion about " Our School " is put together from the follow- 
ing outline : — 

1. Name of school. Where it is. Kind of building. 

2. Number of boys' classes. Girls' classes. 

3. What you like about school. 

4. How long you have attended the school. 

OUR SCHOOL. 

Our school is situated on Hancock Street, and is 
called Public School No. 3. It is a large brick 
building, and is very handsome. 

There are twenty-four class rooms. Eleven of 
these are for boys' classes, and thirteen are for 
girls' classes. 

I like my school, because the teachers are patient 
and kind, and I am learning very fast. 

I have attended this school for two years, and I 
hope I shall not have to leave to attend any other. 

Things to Do. — Write this composition correctly from 
dictation. 



42 

Now write a composition on "My Studies," using the 
following outline as a guide : — 

i. Number and kind of studies. 

2. Those recited in the morning. 

3. Which I like best. Why ? 

4. Teacher's rules during recitations. 



XXXIX. IS AND ARE. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

1. The pink is a fragrant flower. 

2. Pinks are fragrant flowers. 

3. Is the pink a fragrant flower ? 

4. Edith is in the garden. 

5. Edith and Ethel are in the garden. 

6. Are Edith and Ethel in the garden ? 

7. He and I are good friends. 

Things to Notice. — In which of the above sentences 
is the statement made or the question asked about a single 
person or thing? In each such sentence notice whether 
is, or are, is used in making the statement or asking the 
question. 

Now find each sentence in which the subject means 
more than one, and notice whether is, or are, is used in 
making the statement or asking the question. 

Use is in making a statement or in asking a question 
about one person or thing. 



43 

Use are in making a statement or in asking a question 
about more than one person or thing. 

To the Teacher. — Require pupils to give the reason for the use 
of is or are in each of the sentences in this lesson, also have the 
sentences read rapidly around the class to practice the ear in the use 
of is and are. 

Then dictate the sentences to be written, omitting is and are in 
the dictation, and requiring pupils to supply the proper word. Give 
attention to capitals and punctuation. 

Things to Do. — Change is to are, or are to is, in the fol- 
loiving sentences ; then write from dictation, and punctuate 
properly : — 

i. This knife is new. 

2. Are the boys here ? 

3. The rose is beautiful. 

4. Are these cherries ripe ? 

5. This skate is broken. 

6. Are those melons good ? 

7. That flower is white. 

8. Are these flowers fragrant ? 

XL. IS, ARE, AND AM. 

Things to Do. — Use is or are in making statements and 
in asking questions about the following t first orally, then in 



writing 


: — 










book 


apple 


ruler 


bird 


horses 


dogs 


doors 


grapes 


houses 


beets 


celery 


plum 


boy 


picture 


shoe 


bell 


currants 


street 


girls 


flowers 


pencils 


bread 


cow 


trees 



44 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

i. He is playing. 

2. Is Carrie good ? 

3. I am playing. 

4. Am I going? 

5. Carrie and I are going. 

Things to Notice. — What is the subject word in each 
of the first two sentences ? What is the word that tells ? 
What is the subject word in the third and in the fourth 
sentence ? What are the subject words in the fifth sen- 
tence ? Why is are used for the word that tells in this 
sentence ? Notice that am is used instead of is when / 
alone is the subject word. 

When I alone is the subject of a sentence, am is used 
instead of is for the word that tells. 

XLI. JOINING SENTENCES, AND PUNCTUATION. 

i. Iron is a useful metal. 
Copper is a useful metal. 

2. A baker makes bread. 
A baker makes cake. 

3. Peas grow in the garden. 
Beans grow in the garden. 
Celery grows in the garden. 

4. Farmers raise wheat. 
Farmers raise corn. 
Farmers raise rye and oats. 



45 
Things to Do. — Combine the preceding sets of sentences, 
using and as a connecting word ; thus, — 

i. Iron and copper are useful metals. 

2. A baker makes bread and cake. 

3. Peas and beans and celery grow in the 

garden. 

4. The farmer raises wheat and corn and rye 

and oats. 

Things to Notice. — In the first of the combined sen- 
tences how many names are connected by and? How- 
many in the third ? In the fourth ? Read the third and 
fourth sentences. Would it sound better in reading each 
sentence to omit and between all the names except the 
last two ? Read them in that way. 

Notice how commas are used when these two sentences 
are written with and omitted between all the names except 
the last two : — 

1. Peas, beans, and celery grow in the garden. 

2. The farmer raises wheat, corn, rye, and oats. 

Each of these two sentences contains more than two 
names in succession, and we see that these names are 
separated by commas. We also see, in the third and 
fourth sentences above, that when and is not omitted, 
no commas are used. 

When more than two words of the same kind follow each 
other, they should be separated by commas, unless they are 
all joined by a connecting word. 



4 6 

XLII. JOINING SENTENCES, AND PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Tell why commas are placed in the fol- 
lowing sentences : — 

i. Apples, peaches, pears, and plums grow in this 
climate. 

2. I have a dog, a cart, and a pony. 

3. Will cousins Ralph, Alice, and Mary come to- 

morrow ? 

4. You must bring a slate, a pencil, a sponge, and 

a pen. 

Now write the sentences from dictation, and place commas 
where they belong. 

Things to Do. — Combine each of the following sets of 
statements into a single sentence, punctuating properly : — 

1. We found shells on the beach. 
We found pebbles on the beach. 
We found starfish on the beach. 

2. Ferns grew by the roadside. 
Mosses grew by the roadside. 
Flowers grew by the roadside. 

Things to Do. — Combine each of the following sets of 
statements into a single sentence, using because or for as 
connecting words : — 

I. Dandelions are in bloom. 
Springtime has come. 



47 

2. It will not rain to-day. 

The clouds have cleared away. 

3. Are the trees bare ? 
Has cold weather come ? 

4. Are you going away? 
Are you angry ? 

XLIII. WAS AND WERE. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

1. The boy was in fault. 

2. The boys were in fault. 

3. Were the boys in fault ? 

4. The man was there. 

5. Was the man there ? 

6. John and James were late. 

7. Were the oranges sweet ? 

8. He was writing a letter. 

9. He and she were writing. 
10. Were he and she writing? 

Things to Notice. — In which of these sentences is the 
statement made or the question asked about one person 
or thing ? Is was, or were, used in such sentences ? In 
which is the statement made or the question asked about 
more than one person or thing ? Is ivas, or were, used in 
such sentences ? 

Use was in making a statement or in asking a question 
about one person or thing. 



4 8 

Use were in making a statement or in asking a question 
about more than one person or thing. 

To the Teacher. — Dictate for a written exercise, omitting was 
and were, and require pupils to supply the proper word. 

Things to Do. — Change was to were, or were to was, hi 
the first five preceding sentences, and make the necessary 
changes in otJier words. 

Write the follozving sentences and supply was or were in 
the blank spaces : — 

i. That boy very angry. 

2. The lilies in bloom. 

3. Paul and Fred coming? 

4. The water very deep. 

5. He here yesterday. 

6. Those apples not good. 

7. Nora and Ella friendly ? 

8. This boat built last year. 



XLIV. COMMON AND PARTICULAR NAMES. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

1. I saw the boy throw the ball. 

2. The name of the boy was Paul. 

3. The dog likes meat. 

4. The name of the dog is Fido. 

5. A city contains many houses. 

6. The city of Chicago is in Illinois. 



49 

Things to Notice. — Notice that there are two names 
for the same person in the second sentence, two names 
for the same animal in the fourth sentence, and two 
names for the same place in the last sentence. 

The name boy belongs in common to all of the class of 
persons called boys ; but each boy has a particular name 
of his own, by which he is known from other boys. Paul, 
then, is the name of some particular boy. 

The name dog belongs in common to all of that class 
of animals, but the name Fido is the name of some par- 
ticular dog. 

The name city belongs in common to all large collec- 
tions of houses, but Chicago is the name given to a par- 
ticular city. 

A name given to a particular one of a class is called 
a particular or proper name. 

A name that belongs in common to all of a class is called 
a common name. 

XLV. PARTICULAR NAMES, AND CAPITALS. 

Things to Do. — Mention the particular names in the 
following sentences, and tell zvhy they are particular names. 
Mention the common names, and tell why they are common 
names. 

i. A steamer sailed up the river to a city. 

2. The Troy sailed up the Hudson to Albany. 

3. The Mississippi is an important river. 

4. We met Ralph Smith in the park. 

5. The largest city in America is New York. 

LES. IN LANG. — 4 



5o 

6. Frank visited Central Park yesterday. 

7. The Catskill Mountains may be seen from the 

Hudson River. 

Things to Notice. — In the first and second sentences 
are steamer and Troy different names for the same vessel ? 
Does the name Troy tell anything more about which vessel 
is meant than the name steamer does ? What kind of 
name is steamer? What kind of name is Troy? With 
what kind of letter does each name begin ? 

With what kind of letters do river and city begin ? With 
what kind of letters do Hudson and Albany begin ? 

The first letter of every particular name should be a 
capital. 

In the fourth sentence the particular name is made up 
of two separate parts. Does each part begin with a capi- 
tal letter? In the seventh sentence the common name 
river is used with the particular name Hiidson, the two 
forming one particular name. For the same reason we 
should write, Cousin George, Aunt Mary, and Uncle Philip. 

When a common name becomes a part of a particular 
name, such part must also begin with a capital letter. 

The following names should always begin with a capital 
letter : — 

Names of Days. — The days of the week, — Monday, 
Tuesday, etc. ; also New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter, 
Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas. 

Names of Months. — January, February, etc.; but it is 
not customary to begin the names of the seasons — spring, 
summer, autumn, and winter — with capital letters. 



5i 

XLVI. ABBREVIATIONS. 

i. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a poet. 

2. Henry W. Longfellow lived in Massachusetts. 

3. H. W. Longfellow has written many poems. 

4. Geo. Washington was the first president of the 

United States. 

Things to Notice. — In the first sentence all three parts 
of the particular names are given in full ; but in the 
second sentence all but the first or initial letter of the 
middle name is omitted, the initial letter standing alone, 
with a period after it, to show the omission of the other 
letters. In the third sentence the same is true of the first 
part as well as of the middle part of the name. 

This shortening of names is called abbreviation. In the 
fourth sentence George is abbreviated by omitting the last 
three letters, and using a period to indicate the omission. 

A period should be used after an abbreviation. 

Things to Do. — Write the following, and learn for what 
the abbreviations stand : — 



Jan. 


for 


January. 


Mr. for Mister. 


Feb. 


« 


February. 


Mrs. " Mistress. 


Mar. 


(< 


March. 


Esq. " Esquire. 


Apr. 


a 


April. 


Dr. " Doctor. 


Aug. 


a 


August. 


Rev. " Reverend. 


Sept. 


u 


September. 


St. " Street or Saint 


Oct. 


a 


October. 


Ave. " Avenue. 


Nov. 


« 


November. 


No. " Number. 



52 

Dec. for December. Mt. for Mount. 

A.M. " before noon. P.M. " after noon. 

XLVII. GIVEN NAMES AND FAMILY NAMES. 

Things to Notice. — The name given to a person by his 
parents is called his given name or his Christian name ; 
as, William Henry in the name William Henry Harrison. 

The last name is called the family name or surname ; 
as, Harrison in the name just mentioned, or Bryant in the 
name William Cullen Bryant. 

Things to Do. — Read the following sentences, and select 
the common and also the particular names in each. Tell 
which are family names, and which are given names. 
Select tJie abbreviated particular names. 

i. Boston is the largest city in Massachusetts. 

2. My father knew William Cullen Bryant. 

3. Wm. C. Bryant was a noted poet. 

4. The City Hall was decorated with flags. 

5. New York is the largest city in America. 

6. School begins the first Monday in September. 

7. The first month of summer is June. 

8. The weather was delightful last Christmas. 

9. Sometimes there is skating on New Year's Day. 

10. The Hon. Daniel Webster was a great orator. 

11. The Post Office is on Washington Street. 

12. A. T. Stewart was a wealthy merchant. 

Now write the above sentences from dictation. 



53 

XLVIII. PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Read the following, and give the reason 
for the use of each punctuation mark : — 

ANTS. 

In ant-hills we find drone ants, queen ants, and 
worker ants. 

The drone ants have no sting, and do no work. 
Their bodies are longer and thinner than those 
of queens. The workers are smaller than the 
queens or drones. 

Ants know how to work and how to rest. After 
a little hard work they stop, clean their bodies, 
take some food, and sleep. 

Write from dictation, being careful to punctuate properly. 

To the Teacher. — Write the above story on the blackboard, 
omitting all capitals and punctuation marks, and require pupils to 
copy, using periods, capital letters, and commas where they belong, 
making three paragraphs. 

XLIX. CONTRACTION OF WORDS. 

Things to Notice. — In familiar conversation and writing 
it is allowable to shorten a word, or to join two words into 
one, by omitiing some of the letters, and marking the 
omission by an apostrophe. 

ALLOWABLE CONTRACTIONS. 

F 11 for I will. doesn't for does not. 

we 11 for we will. isnt for is not. 



54 

they '//for they will. dorit for do not. 

I've for I have. didn't for did not. 

we've for ze/£ have. 'tis for zV zV. 

they've for //z*?jj/ /z#z^. r#/z7 for cannot, 

they re for //^ are. der for <?z^r. 

there s for zvzm? z'i". ;z<?Vr for never, 

he's for ^ «■ or he has. o'clock for of the clock. 

Caution. — Never say airit or taint. Never say he 
dorit or she dorit : say he doesrit or she doesrit. Dorit is 
a contraction of afo «<?/, and no one would say, He do not 
know his lesson. 

Things to Do. — Write each contraction given above, and 
tell of what ivord or words it is a contraction. 

Write the following sentences, making all the allowable 
contractions possible : — 

They are not coming. We have found them. 
He does not know. We do not know. I have 
heard from home. They will be sorry. They do 
not hear. He is going away. It is for you I am 
anxious. I have finished my letter. He has trav- 
eled over land and sea. He will go to-morrow. 
He does not know us. It is six of the clock. They 
did not remain long. He could not lift it. He 
would not hurry. 

L. A LETTER. 

Things to Do. — Write the following letter and address 
the envelope, using the capitals and punctuation marks. 






55 







<&?^~u^ /uzzA^y C^//U?^i^^^^^4^LJy 






/^^^^^^V^/^^^^^C/. 



^ut/. 



O^W-^^i^^^ 



/Z^i^?^^^z/^^z^/ ^M^i4^^trz^7^yy^ 




^W^^^^^^^^^C/^^^^^^^^^^^^ 



'/&l//7^4^4^. 




J2/£ 








56 



















STAMP 


o£jj,'d^Mi£^. 


3cTtf cSJM/C?^., ' 


C^u^i^tH^^ZU^r 



57 

Things to Do. — Write a letter in correct form to a friend, 
inviting him to go nutting with you on some Saturday. 
Tell him what time you will start, and whether you will 
carry luncheon along or not. 



LI. EXCLAMATIONS. 

i. Ah! there he comes ! 

2. Hurrah ! how the snow flies ! 

3. O, what a fine time we shall have ! 

4. Oh ! what a nice present this is ! 

5. Alas ! how poor they are ! 

6. Oh ! how that did hurt ! 

7. Pshaw ! how it rains ! 

Things to Notice. — Does the first sentence express a 
feeling of joy, or of sorrow ? The second sentence ? 
The third sentence ? Does the fourth sentence express 
a feeling of joy, or of surprise ? Sound Oh so that it 
may express different feelings. Does the fifth express a 
feeling of joy, or of sorrow ? Does the sixth express a 
feeling of pain, or of sorrow ? What feeling does the 
seventh express ? 

When there comes to us a strong feeling of joy, sorrow, 
pain, or disappointment, we express our emotion in strong 
language ; that is, we cry out, or exclaim. 

A sentence that expresses strong feeling or emotion 
is an exclamation. 

An exclamation should end with an exclamation point (!). 



58 

Special exclamatory words are often used in exclama- 
tory sentences. Such words should be followed by an 
exclamation point, except the word O. 

When the word O is used in an exclamation, it should 
be a capital, and be followed by a comma. 

Things to Do. — Mention each special exclamatory word 
in the seven sentences at tJie beginning of this lesson. 

Read tJie sentences a7id notice carefully the punctuation ; 
then write them from dictation and punctuate properly. 

LII. PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Give the reason for the use of the punctu- 
ation mark at the end of each of the following sentences, and 
also for the use of the commas ; then write the sentences , 
being careful to punctuate properly : — 

Come with me to the river, James. Do you see 
those beautiful flowers ? O, what a pretty blue 
flower that is ! Will you pick it for me ? Do 
you not think it is pretty, James ? I will take it 
to mamma, for she is ill and likes flowers. 

Do not get too near the water. O, dear ! there 
goes my hat ! Can you not catch it with a stick ? 
Oh ! oh ! there it goes under the rock ! Hurrah ! 
hurrah ! you have caught it. I am very glad to 
get it again, but I am sorry it is so wet. I must 
let it dry in the sun. 

Things to Notice. — How many kinds of sentences are 
there in these two paragraphs ? With what mark must a 



59 

statement end ? With what mark must a question end ? 
With what mark must an exclamation end ? Where else 
must an exclamation point be used ? 

What mark should follow the word O when used in an 
exclamation ? How many of the sentences in these two 
paragraphs are statements ? How many are questions ? 
How many are commands? How many are exclamations? 

To the Teacher. — Now write the two paragraphs on the black- 
board, leaving out all punctuation marks, and require pupils to copy 
and punctuate properly. For another lesson dictate the exercise to be 
written, being careful to indicate correctly with the voice the proper 
punctuation. 

LIII. COMPOSITIONS. 
A TALK ON INSECTS. 

The fly, the butterfly, the bee, the wasp, and the 
grasshopper are insects. 

Each of these insects has a head, a thorax, an 
abdomen, and six legs. 

The head of an insect has two eyes, two feelers, 
and a mouth. 

The legs of these insects are on the thorax. The 
thorax is made up of three rings, and each ring 
has a pair of legs. 

If an insect has wings, you will find them on the 
thorax also. 

Things to Notice. — How many paragraphs in this com- 
position ? What is the composition written about ? 



6o 

The words A Talk on bisects at the head of this compo- 
sition form the heading or subject. The first word and 
each important word in the subject of a written composi- 
tion should begin with a capital. Such words as a, a?i, the, 
a7id, or y to, of, by, for, on, in, etc., are not important words, 
and should not begin with capitals unless they begin the 
subject. 

The space left without any writing on either side of the 
page is called a margin. In a written composition there 
should be a margin of about three quarters of an inch on 
the left of a page only. Begin each paragraph in a story 
or composition about half an inch at the right of the 
marginal line. 

Things to Do. — Write the composition headed "A Talk 
07i Insects," being careful to preserve its arrangement, punc- 
tuation, capitals, and paragraphs. Give the reasons for the 
use of commas. 

For another lesso7i write the co77tposition f r 077t dictation, 
bei7ig careful about capitals, punctuation, a7id pa7-ag7'apJis. 

LIV. WORDS USED IN PLACE OF NAMES. 

i. Mary has a sweet voice. 
Mary sings well. 

2. James likes pets. 

James treats his pets kindly. 

Things to Do. — Co7nbine the ft7'st tzvo se7ite7ices i7ito one 
sente7ice, a7id the last two se7ttences i7ito another se7ite7ice, and 
write them as follows. 



6i 

i. Mary has a sweet voice, and she sings well. 
2. James likes pets, and he treats them kindly. 

Things to Notice. — In the first combined sentence she 
is used to avoid repeating the name Mary. 

What two words in the second sentence are used to pre- 
vent repeating names, and for what name does each stand ? 

Things to Do. — In the following sentences select the 
words used in place of names, and tell for what name each 
stands ; then combine each set into a single sentence by ztsing 
the joining words, and, for, or but : — 

i. Edith had a pen. 
She has it yet. 

2. Julia and I go to school. 
You can go with us. 

3. John dislikes Harry. 
He always avoids him. 

4. Nellie had a bird. 
It flew away. 

5. The girls like Jane and me. 
We treat them kindly. 

6. Robins feed on worms. 
They devour them greedily. 

Things to Notice. — /, me, he, she, and it always stand 
for names meaning only one. 

We, us, they, and them always stand for names meaning 
more than one. 



62 
LV. REPRODUCTION. 

THE WISE RAVEN. 

Once a raven, nearly dead with thirst, was very glad to 
find a pitcher containing some water. He eagerly tried 
to reach the water with his bill, but could not do so, because 
his neck and bill were not long enough. Then he tried to 
turn the pitcher over, but it was too heavy. At last, seeing 
some pebbles on the ground, he picked them up one by 
one with his bill and dropped them into the pitcher, until 
the water rose high enough for him to reach and quench 
his thirst. 

Things to Do. — Compare this story sentence by sentence 
with the following reproduction, and mention the points of 
difference. Select the words used to avoid repeating names, 
and tell what name each stands for. 

A RAVEN THAT WAS WISE. 

Once a very thirsty raven found a pitcher with 
some water in it. He eagerly thrust his head into 
the pitcher, but could not reach the water because 
his neck and bill were too short. He then thought 
that he would overturn the pitcher and catch some 
of the water while it was flowing out ; but the 
pitcher was too heavy. He finally tried the plan 
of dropping pebbles into the pitcher with his bill, 
thus raising the water high enough for him to 
drink all he wished. 



63 
Now write the story in your own words from the follow- 
ing outline : — 

i. Raven, very thirsty. 

2. Found a pitcher partly filled with water. 

3. Neck and bill too short to reach the water. 

4. Tried to overturn pitcher. Why ? 

5. Could not do it. Why? 

6. Dropped pebbles into pitcher. Why ? 

LVI. WHO AND WHICH. 

Things to Do. — Combine each of the following sets of 
statements into a single sentence and write it, using who or 
which as a joining word, and omitting any words in the 
second statement not needed to make the sense complete : — 

1. This is my oldest brother. 

This brother has just returned from Paris. 

2. Helen is writing on her slate. 
She is holding the slate in her lap. 

COMBINED. 

1. This is my oldest brother, who has just returned 

from Paris. 

2. Helen is writing on her slate, which she is hold- 

ing on her lap. 

Things to Notice. — In the first sentence, who is used to 
connect the two statements into a single sentence ; who 
also stands for the name brother. 



6 4 

In the second sentence, which is used both to connect 
the statements and to take the place of the name slate. 

We use who in the first sentence because it takes the 
place of the name of a person. 

We use which in the second sentence because it takes 
the place of the name of a thing. 

Use who (or whom) in place of the name of a person. 
Use which in place of the name of a thing' or an animal. 

LVII. JOINING SENTENCES. 

Things to Do. — Combine each of the following seven sets 
of statements into a single sentence, according to the direc- 
tions in the precedi?ig lesson : — 

i. Henry was very fond of his dog. 

His uncle had kindly sent him the dog. 

2. Mary picked a basket of strawberries. 
The strawberries grew by the roadside. 

3. I have lately been reading of Elias Howe. 
He invented the sewing machine. 

4. The girls brought home some beautiful shells. 
They found the shells on the beach. 

5. The florist gave Paul some choice plants. 
He carefully planted them in the garden. 

6. Harry accidentally found the nest. 
The hen had carefully hidden it. 

7. Have you ever read of Samuel Morse ? 
He invented the electric telegraph. 



65 

To the Teacher. — After the sentences are written in combination, 
have them read around the class so as to accustom the ear, the eye, 
and the vocal organs to the use of such language. 



LVIII. COMPOSITION. 

Subject: my reading book. 

i. Made of paper. 

2. Protected by covers. 

3. Printed matter arranged in lessons. 

4. Some lessons are stories. 

5. Others are descriptions of pictures. 

6. Why I like my book. 

Things to Notice. — Notice what is written below from 
the first and second parts of the above outline, making 
the first and second paragraphs of a composition. 

MY READING BOOK. 



My reading book is called Swinton's Third 
Reader, and it is made of nice white paper. 

The book is bound with stiff covers, to keep the 
leaves from becoming soiled and torn. 

Things to Do. — Write above paragraphs and finish the 
compositio7i, using the four remaining parts of the outline, 
and writing as much as possible about each part. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson write the outline on the 
blackboard, and require pupils to write the whole composition. 

LES. IN LANG. 5 



66 

LIX. WHICH AND WHOM. 

Things to Do. — Read the following sets of statements 
and the combination of each into a single statement ; then 
write them : — 

i. The girls climbed to the top of the rock. 

They could see a beautiful waterfall from this 
rock. 

2. Here come the other boys. 

We have been waiting for the other boys half an 
hour. 

COMBINED. 

i. The girls climbed to the top of the rock, from 
which they could see a beautiful waterfall. 

2. Here come the other boys, for whom we have 
been waiting half an hour. 

To the Teacher. — When the combined sentences have been 
written, have them read around the class to accustom the ear and vocal 
organs to the use of such language. 

Things to Notice. — Which words are used in the com- 
bined sentences in place of names. Notice that zvhich is 
used in place of the names of things (or animals), and 
whom in place of the names of persons. 

Things to Do. — Write in the same manner a combined 
sentence from each of the following sets of statements, being 
careful to use which and whom properly. 



6 7 

i. The boys soon reached the bridge. 

They sat on this bridge and fished all day. 

2. The boys found a bird's nest. 

In the nest were three speckled eggs. 

3. There sat the kind old man. 

Around the man were gathered the little children. 

4. Here is the long iron bridge. 

We passed over this bridge twice yesterday. 

5. The little bird sits on the branch of a tree. 
A peculiar nest is hanging from this branch. 

6. They soon found a small boat. 

They crossed the river in this boat safely. 

To the Teacher. — This and the following lesson should frequently 
be taken in review. 

LX. JOINING SENTENCES. 

Things to Do. — Read carefully the following sentences, 
filling the blanks by using in which, for which, or such 
similar expressions as will fit the sense. Read again more 
rapidly, filling the blanks as before. Then write them and 
read again arotcnd the class. Select the names and the 
words used in place of names. 

1. The merry party followed the winding stream 

till it came to a precipice the water 

dashed in a beautiful spray and fell into the pool 
below. 



68 

2. We at last reached the summit of the moun- 
tain, and obtained the view we so often 

had longed. 

3. The little girl we had searched so 

long was found sitting on a rock by the river. 

4. The old gentleman you were look- 
ing in the crowd is standing by the door. 

LXI. THE CORRECTION OF A COMPOSITION. 

Things to Notice. — The dele (8) means to omit. 
The caret ( A ) is used to show an omission. 
The mark of lower case {I.e.) means a small letter. 
The paragraph mark (If) indicates a new paragraph. 

Things to Do. — Write the following composition, cor- 
recting all errors that are indicated : — 

A YOUNG GENTLEMAN. 

Paul Bentley was a very gentlemanly 
Sp. J lad. He was not a coward, for he all ways 
took the part of the smaller and weaker 
boys. 

He was courteous to girls and to ladies, 

§ / and r*€ he always raised his hat when 

O/ Cap. I he met them A he even raised his hat to 

strangers when they were recognized by 

his companion. 



6 9 
He always allowed ladies, both young 
and old, to pass before him out of a 
room or a house. In fact, he never 
walked before a lady, except in going 
If/ up stairs. A If he happened to occupy 
the most comfortable chair in the room, 
he would rise and offer it to a lady or 
to any person older than himself who 
might enter. 
I.e. J Paul was a true Gentleman, because 

he was unselfish. 
No\ I Politeness is though tfulness combined 
with unselfishness, and therefore it is 
hard for a selfish person to be really 
polite. 

LXII. COMPOSITION. 

Things to Do. — After examining your school desk, and 
talking about the names of its different parts and what 
they are made of, write a composition from the following 
outline : — 

Subject: my school desk. 

Supports. — Material ; how fastened to box and floor. 

Box. — Kind of wood ; length, width ; number of pieces 
and their names ; how coated. 

Top. — Sloping ; the reason ; groove ; its use ; rail ; 
general uses. 



70 

LXIII. THINGS TO REMEMBER. 

A sentence expressing a command, a wish, or a request, should 
end with a period. 

The name of a person spoken to should be separated from the 
rest of the sentence by a comma, or by two commas. 

A name is usually made to mean more than one by adding s 
or es. 

When a name meaning more than one ends in s, the apostrophe 
alone (') is added to the s to show possession. 

To all other nouns both the apostrophe and s ('s) are added to 
denote possession. 

Use is or was in making a statement or in asking a question 
about one person or thing. 

Use are or were in making a statement or in asking a ques- 
tion about more than one person or thing. 

When I alone is the subject of a sentence, use am instead of 
is for the word that tells. 

"When more than two words of the same kind follow each other, 
they should be separated by commas, unless they are all joined 
by a connecting word. 

The words I and O should always be capitals. 

A name given to a particular one of a class is called a partic- 
ular name, and begins with a capital letter. 

A name that belongs in common to all of a class is called a 
common name. 

When a common name becomes a part of a particular name, 
it begins with a capital letter. 

A period should be used after an abbreviation. 

An exclamation should end with an exclamation point. 

Use who or whom in the place of the name of a person. 

Use which in place of the name of a thing or an animal. 



7i 



LXIV. A PICTURE LESSON. 




THE ROBIN. 



" My pretty little robin, 
With coat so very gay, 
Have you come on purpose 
To dine with me to-day ? 

" You know that you are welcome, 
Come, robin, when you will, 
Because you sing so sweetly 
Upon my window sill. 

" Some nice soft crumbs I've sav'd you ; 
I thought that you would come : 



72 

So pick up now your portion ; 
The rest you'll please take home, 

" Where Mrs. Robin Redbreast, 
With bonny children three, 
Are waiting for their dinners 
At home, in yonder tree." 

Things to Notice. — What is the subject of this piece of 
poetry ? How many lines are in each stanza ? Which 
lines begin nearer the left margin, the first and third, or 
the second and fourth ? How many lines in each stanza 
begin with capital letters ? 

Every line of poetry should begin with a capital letter. 

Things to Do. — Read the selection carefully, notice its 
form, the marks of abbreviation, and the punctuation ; then 
write it. 

To the Teacher. — For a second lesson have pupils turn the poetry 
into prose, using their own language. Put what is said in the first 
stanza into one paragraph, what is said in the second stanza into 
another, but combine what is said in the last two into the third para- 
graph. Have pupils write an original story from the picture. 

LXV. PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Read the following selection carefully, 
notice the punctuation, and give reasons for the use of all 
the marks. 

THE SPARROW. 

The sparrow is a very saucy little fellow. He 
will hop about under your feet and seem to say, 
" Who is afraid ? " 



73 

The farmer tries to shoot the sparrows, for they 
eat his grain. Do you think he knows what good 
they do ? They eat a great many bugs that do 
harm to his grain. 

There is a kind of sparrow which has a white 
throat. Sparrows of this kind sing very sweetly in 
the spring. Have you ever heard them sing? 

To the Teacher. — Write the three paragraphs on the blackboard, 
omitting all punctuation marks and capitals, and require pupils to copy, 
and supply all omissions. 

LXVI. REPRODUCTION, AND QUOTATION MARKS. 

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES. 
A FABLE. 

One sultry day a fox, finding no water to quench 
his thirst, spied some clusters of grapes hanging- 
just too high for him to reach. 

The fox stood a few moments gazing wistfully at 
the purple clusters. Then he made an attempt to 
reach them by leaping as high as he could, but he 
failed. He tried again and again until his efforts 
made him quite weary. 

At last he turned away, and said with a sneer, 
"You are sour things, anyway, and are not at all fit 
to eat." 

Things to Notice. — What kind of story is this called? 
What is a fable ? Why did the fox wish to get the grapes ? 



74 

Why could he not get them ? What did he say when he 
could not reach them ? Did he really think they were 
sour ? Do people ever pretend not to like things they 
cannot have ? 

Into how many paragraphs is the story divided ? What 
two marks are placed before and after what the fox said, 
to show that they are not the words of the writer of the 
story ? Which way do the quotation marks turn at the 
beginning of the fox's speech ? Which way do they turn 
at the end ? What punctuation mark stands between the 
words of the writer and the quoted words ? 

Things to Do. — Write the story of " The Fox and the 
Grapes" from dictation. For another lesson reprodtice tJie 
story in yonr own language. 

Things to Notice. — When the exact words that are 
spoken or written by another and introduced into one's 
own composition make a complete sentence, the quotation 
begins with a capital. 

When a quotation is a complete sentence, it should begin 
with a capital. 

When a change is made in the quoted words, so that 
the quotation is not exact, no quotation marks are used ; 
as, — 

i. Mary said, " I am delighted with this place." 
2. Mary said that she was delighted with this place. 

The quotation in the first sentence is called a direct 
quotation; that in the second sentence is called an indi- 
rect quotation. 



75 

LXVII. A COMPOSITION. 

Things to Do. — Write the following story, being careful 
to notice tlie quoted words and to use the proper marks : — 

KEEPING AT IT. 

A gentleman passing a garden saw a little boy 
weeding a large onion bed. 

The man saw that the weeds were very thick, and 
to test the boy's pluck he asked, " How do you ever 
expect to finish such a hard job ? " — " By keeping 
at it until it is done," said the brave little lad. 

If we wish to succeed, we must keep at our tasks 
until they are finished. 

For another lesson write the story from dictation, being 
careful about the quotations. 

For a third lesson read the story carefully, and then repro- 
duce in your own words, and use quotation marks correctly. 

LXVIII. HAS AND HAVE. 
Things to Do. — Read the following sentences : — 

i. Frank has a fine watch. 

2. Frank and John have fine watches. 

3. This boy has a good record. 

4. These boys have good records. 

5. Has John seen the flowers? 

6. Have the boys finished their work ? 



7 6 

Things to Notice. — Tell whether has, or have, is used 
above in making statements or in asking questions about 
a single person or thing. 

Use has in making statements or in asking questions 
about a single person or thing. 

Use have in making statements or in asking questions 
about more than one person or thing. 

Things to Do. — Read the following sentences, using is, are, 
was, were, am, has, have, or some name, in each blank 
space : — 

i. Ella beautiful eyes. 

2. Joe and Ned a nice pony. 

3. This oak leaf red. 

4. These maple leaves yellow. 

5. he and John coming? 

6. Where the oars ? 

7. Joe and Fred the oars. 

8. Here the basket and bait. 

9. this door strong hinges ? 

10. I now in good health. 

1 1 . A is a small stream. 

12. live in a brook. 

1 3. I a fragrant . 

14. Charles a nice kite. 

15. produce acorns. 

16. This makes a nice shade. 

17. Apples wholesome food. 

18. Nina and Mary here? 



77 

1 9. — — we any peaches ? 

20. I in Boston yesterday. 

Things to Notice. — How have you filled the blanks in 
the thirteenth sentence? Is it right to say, "I have a fra- 
grant flower " ? Is it right to say, " She has a fragrant 
flower " or " They have a fragrant flower " ? 

We use have in a statement or a question about one 
person when I stands for that person. 

Things to Do. — Write the above sentences from dictation, 
and supply the omitted words. After the sentences have 
been written, read each aloud distinctly to accustom the ear 
to tJie correct use of the words. 

LXIX. LETTER WRITING. 

Things to Notice. — When a person receives a letter, 
courtesy requires that he should answer it at once. To 
do this he must know where to send his answer ; and, 
that the recipient may know whether the letter has been 
delivered promptly or not, he wishes to know when it was 
written. 

To tell this in the usual way would require something 
like the following : — 

(I write this in) Cooperstown (in the State of) New York 
(on) January 8th (in the year) 1891. 

This, however, can be much shortened by omitting all 
the words inclosed in parentheses, and placing commas 
between the words where the omissions occur ; thus, Coop- 
erstown, New York, January 8th, 1891. 

This may be placed in the upper right-hand corner of 



78 
the page, occupying still less space, by an abbreviation of 

some of the words : — 

Cooperstown, N.Y., 

Jan. 8th, 1891. 

It is well for a person living in a city to state also the 
name of the street and the house number; thus, — 

124 Verona PL, Brooklyn, N.Y., 
Jan. 8th, 1891. 

Things to Do. — Write from dictation the two foregoing 
headings, putting each in its proper place on the page and 
in tJie proper form. 

LXX. LETTER WRITING. 

Things to Do. — Write tJie following letter after noticing 
the punctuation, the capital letters, the margins, tJie para- 
graphs, and the arrangement of the different parts. Do not 
copy the names of the parts. 

(Heading) 

Watkins, New York, 

(Salutation) DeC. 27th, 189O. 

Dear Lllen, (Body of Letter) 

I received a beautiful China tea-set for my Christ- 
mas present last Thursday. There are a teapot, 
a sugar-bowl, a milk-pitcher, a bread-plate, and a 
cake-plate. And, besides, there are six teacups and 
saucers and six cake-plates. 

Each piece has a gilt edge, and all the dishes 
are so thin that I can almost see through them. 
I shall have to be careful not to break them. 



79 

Mamma says that I may have a tea-party next 
Wednesday afternoon at four o'clock, and I shall 
be very glad to have you come to take tea with us. 

(Subscription) 

Your friend, 

(Signature) 

(Address) Ella Cochrane. 

Miss Ellen iMilburn. 

Things to Notice. — Why are commas used to separate 
the different words in the heading ? Which part of the 
heading is the address of the writer ? Which part is the 
date of the letter ? What two parts, then, does the heading 
of a letter contain ? 

What mark is put after the salutation ? What mark 
after the subscription ? What after the signature, and the 
address of the person written to ? 

Things to Do. — Drazv three or more envelopes on your 
slate. Direct the first like the one below*, and the otJiers to 
some of your friends. Drazv your envelopes three inches 
wide and five inches and a qttarter long. The name should 
be written on a line halfway between the top and the bottom. 





(Superscr 


ption) 




Miss 


Ellen 


Milburn, 
Watkins, 








New 


York. 



8o 



Miss Edith L. Wilson, 

124 Verona PI., 
Brooklyn, N.Y. 



Caution. — Do not use both Mr. and Esq. with the same 
name, or either of these two titles with Dr., M.D., Rev., or 
D.D. 

But we may «write — 

Rev. Adam Clark, D.D., 
Rev. Dr. Adam Clark. 



FORMS OF SALUTATION. 

Madam : — Sir : — 

Dear Madam : — Gentlemen : — 

Dear Father, My dear Ella, 

My dear Sister, Dear Uncle James, 

Dear Mr. Brown, Dear Miss Brush, 



FORMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. 

Respectfully, Very respectfully, 

Yours truly, Yours respectfully, 

Sincerely yours, Your affectionate son, 



81 

LXXI. LETTER WRITING. 

Things to Do. — Write letters, using the following /lints 
as your guide : — 

Suppose you are to have a picnic in Prospect Park, 
and you wish to invite a friend to go with you. 

In the first paragraph of your letter state the fact that 
you are going on the picnic, when, and where, and tell 
why you think the place is a good one, imagining the 
reasons if you do not really know. 

In the second paragraph state who are going, giving 
the names of four friends, invite the friend to whom you 
are writing to go with you, and speak of your hopes as 
to the weather on the day appointed. 

In the third paragraph tell what arrangements you have 
made as to lunch, when it is to be eaten, and when you 
expect to return home. 

Another letter may contain, first, the mention of an invi- 
tation to visit a cousin in the country, and the prepara- 
tion for the journey ; second, incidents of the visit ; third, 
regrets on leaving and the journey home. 

Things to Do. — Write from dictation the following 
note : — 

Friday Morning, Feb. 9, 1891. 
Miss Ida Bradbury, 

Please excuse Henry's absence yesterday. He 
was too ill to attend school, or even to leave his 

room - Yours truly, 

Beatrice F. Howard. 

LES. IN LANG, — 6 



82 
LXXII. THIS AND TH^AT ; THESE AND THOSE. 

To the Teacher. — To illustrate the use of this and that, these and 
those, the teacher may take her own pencil in one hand, and one 
belonging to a pupil in the other, and ask the class to listen to what 
she has to say about the pencils, and to notice how she holds them 
as to the distance from herself. Then, holding up her own, she may 
say, " This pencil is mine.'" Then, holding up the other farther from 
herself, she may say, " That pencil is yours." 

Things to Do. — Take the pencils and repeat zvJiat the 
teacJier has just done, being careful to i r efcr properly to the 
owners of the pencils in forming the sentences. Now take 
two pencils in eacJi hand, and speak of the nearest ones as 
" these pencils," and of those farthest away as "those 
pencils" 

Things to Notice. — Which pencil is nearer the person 
holding it, the one spoken of as "this pencil," or the one 
spoken of as " that pencil " ? " These pencils," or " those 
pencils " ? 

This refers to one object near the speaker ; that, to one 
object farther away. 

These refers to two or more objects near the speaker; 
those, to two or more objects farther away. 

Things to Do. — Change orally this to these, or that to 
those, in each of the following sentences, and make the 
necessary change in the other words : — 

i. That boy is angry. 

2. This slate is old. 

3. That knife is mine. 

4. This man owns that ox. 

5. Have you that pencil? 



83 

6. This church is old. 

7. I planted that tree. 

8. This watch is new. 

9. This man is my friend. 

10. Has that pencil a point? 

11. Has this fly six legs ? 

12. A dog bit that woman. 

LXXIII. THIS AND THAT; THESE AND THOSE. 

Things to Do. — Fill the blanks orally in the sentences 
belozv with this, that, these, or those, or with is, am, are, 
was, were, has, or have, until the sentences can be read 
rapidly. 

Caution. — Care should be taken not to use these or 
those with sort and kind. 

Never use them for these or those. It is incorrect to 
say, " Hand me them books," " I will sharpen them 
pencils." Say, those books, those pencils. 

1. I do not like kind of apples. 

2. I cannot find books anywhere. 

3. the dog and the cat had a quarrel ? 

4. Where did you get oranges ? 

5. I like kind of candies better than kind. 

6. These oranges sweeter than those . 

7. Did you see girls making soap-bubbles ? 

8. Where did you get sort of plums ? 

9. boys all older than I . 



8 4 

io. We have plenty of sort of pears. 

1 1. John — — a larger kite than I . 

12. Ella and May gone to school yet ? 

13. kind of apples sweeter than 

kind. 

14. mountain is nearer us than one is. 

15. mountain is farther away than — one is. 

Now write the sentences, supplying the words omitted. 

Things to Notice. — Why should this or that fill the 
blank in the first sentence ? Why may you choose either 
this or that? What word should fill the blank in the 
second sentence, and why ? What word should fill the 
blank in the eighth sentence, and why ? 

LXXIV. LETTER WRITING. 

Things to Do. — Write from dictation the following 
answer to the letter in Lesson LXX. : — 

Watkins, New York, 

Dec. 29, 1890. 
Dear Ella, 

Your kind invitation to your tea-party next Wed- 
nesday was received too late last Saturday for a 
reply to reach you on that day, so I waited till this 
morning to write an answer. 

At first mamma hesitated to give her consent, 
as she had thought of taking me with her to visit 
Uncle Henry. But when I told her how much I 



85 
wished to attend your party, she said I might go. 
Wasn't she kind ? 

You may expect me, then, next Wednesday. 
Before that day comes I shall often think of the 
pleasant time we may all have together. 

Your friend, 
Miss Ella Cochrane. Ellen Milburn. 

LXXV. A PICTURE STORY. 




Things to Notice. — Is not the dog shown in the picture 
a faithful animal? Why did not the maid on the wharf 
keep the child close by her side, so that it could not fall 
into the water ? Was she faithful to her duty ? Does the 
dog hold the child's head above the water? Does not 



86 

the man in the boat deserve praise for getting to the child 
so soon after it had fallen into the water ? 

Things to Do. — Write the story of the picture, using 
the following outline as a guide : — 



Subject: a faithful dog. 

Maid standing on wharf. 
Child struggling in the water. 
Dog seizing child. 
Holding child above water. 
Man in boat 
Child saved. 



LXXVI. NAMES ENDING IN Y CHANGED TO MEAN 
MORE THAN ONE. 

Things to Do. — Write both forms of the following 
names : — 



fly 


flies 


daisy 


daisies 


lily 


lilies 


berry 


berries 


lady 


ladies 


story 


stories 


city 


cities 


candy 


candies 


pony 


ponies 


cherry 


cherries 



Things to Notice. — We see that these names ending 
in y change the y to i before es is added to make them 
mean more than one. 

Things to Do. — Write both forms of the names at the 
top of the next page. 







$7 




day 


days 


valley 


valleys 


key 


keys 


turkey 


turkeys 


boy 


boys 


monkey 


monkeys 


toy 


toys 


chimney 


chimneys 



Things to Notice. — We also see that the above names 
ending in y simply add s to change their form. Notice 
also that a, e, or o comes before the y in each of these 
words. 

When a name ends with y, having a, e, or o before it, 
s only is added to make it mean more than one. 

Other names ending with y change the y to i and add es 
to mean more than one. 

LXXVII. USE OF POSSESSIVE FORM. 



bird 


boy 


child 


women 


birds 


man 


children 


ladies 


oxen 


men 


rabbits 


turkey 


boys 


fly 


cousin 


girls 



Things to Do. — Use the correct possessive form of the 
above names in the blank spaces of the following sen- 
tences : — 

i. That wing is broken. 

2. The nest is lined with feathers. 

3. These burrow is very long. 

4. The father bought them a pony. 

5. This mother is very sick. 

6. That horse is too frisky. 



7- 


The 


— voices were musical. 


8. 


The 


— conversation was inter 


9- 


The 


— coat is badly torn. 


IO. 


The 


— dresses were all neat. 


ii. 


The 


— yoke is very heavy. 


12. 


My 


— book is neatly covered. 


13- 


The 


— legs are tangled. 


14. 


The 


— wraps are in the hall. 


15. 


The 


— egg is speckled. 


16. 


The 


— room is very neat. 



Things to Notice. — The little words my, our, your, his, 
her, its, and their show possession, but they are never 
written with an apostrophe. 

LXXVIII. REPRODUCTION AND PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Read the following selection care- 
fully, noticing words indicating possession, and quotation 
marks : — 

A GOOD EXAMPLE. 

The other day a big, fine-looking horse attached 
to a grocer's wagon fell in the middle of a slippery 
pavement. 

The driver did not jump down and whip the horse, 
as many drivers would have done, but he got out of 
his wagon and loosened the harness. Then he took 
his lap robe and spread it upon the slippery pave- 
ment near the horse's feet. 



8 9 

The intelligent animal looked at the robe a 
moment, and then at the man, as though he would 
say, "You are very kind; I know the robe will 
keep me from slipping." He edged around until 
his feet were upon the robe, and then with a great 
effort he got up. 

The driver tightened the harness, picked up and 
shook the lap robe, got into his wagon, and drove 
away. 

Now do you not admire the driver's kindness and 
thoughtfulness, and was not the horse an intelligent 
animal ? 

Write the above selection from dictation. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson read the selection not more 
than twice to the class, and then require pupils to reproduce the story 
in their own words. 

LXXIX. COMPOSITION. 

Things to Do. — From the following outline write a 
composition which may be, or may not be, like the written 
story in the preceding lesson : — 

Subject: A GOOD EXAMPLE. 

i. Horse fell; pavement slippery. 

2. Kind driver ; loosened harness ; spread lap robe. 

3. Intelligent horse ; put his feet on robe ; stood up ; 

driver fixed harness ; drove away. 

4. Thoughts about driver and horse. 



9 o 

LXXX. NOUNS AND PRONOUNS. 

Things to Do. — Select the names in the first line of each 
set of the following sentences, and also the words used in 
place of names in the second line : — 

i. James likes pets. 

He treats them kindly. 

2. John dislikes Harry. 
He always avoids him. 

3. Edith had a pen. 
She has it yet. 

4. Robins like worms. 
They eat them greedily. 

Things to Notice. — Words used as names are also 
called nouns, because the word noun means name. 

Words like he, she, it, they, him, and them are called 
pronouns, because they are used for norms. Pro-noun 
means /<?r-noun. 

Things to Do. — Mention each noun in the preceding 
sentences. Mention each pronoun and tell the noun for 
which it stands. 

Things to Notice. — /, me, he, she, and it are pronouns 
that stand for nouns meaning only one. 

We, us, you, they, and them are pronouns that stand 
for nouns that mean more than one. 

A noun is a word used as a name. 

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. 



9i 

LXXXI. USE OF PRONOUNS. 

Things to Do. — Select in each of the following sentences 
the pronouns that represent the persons about whom the 
statement is made, and tell what is said about the 
persons : — 

i. She will start for California to-morrow. 

2. You and I will start soon. 

3. He and I will start together. 

4. You and he will start next. 

5. She and I are cousins. 

6. They and we have the same lessons. 

7. You and she may recite now. 

3. You, she, and I will go together. 

Things to Notice. — In the second sentence how many 
pronouns are used for the names of the persons about 
whom the statement is made ? What connects these two 
pronouns ? 

How many pronouns are used in the eighth sentence?. 
Why are they separated by commas ? 

Would it be correct to say, "You and me had a pleasant 
visit " ? Would it be correct to say, "Me had a pleasant 
visit"? 

Things to Do. — Read these eight sentences around the 
class for a drill in the correct use of subject forms. 

Write five similar sentences, using I, he, she, you, we, 
they, for subjects, being especially careful wJien two or 
more of these pivnouns are used for this purpose in the 
same sentence. 



92 
LXXXII. ACTION WORDS: VERBS. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences ; - 

shot a gray squirrel. 



i. The sportsman 

2. The dandelion 

3. Thrifty vines 

4. The fisherman 



blooms in early spring. 
covered the little porch. 
caught some fine trout. 



Things to Notice. — In the first sentence about what is 
the statement or assertion made ? What words make the 
assertion ? Which word makes the most important part 
of the assertion "shot a gray squirrel " ? 

What word is used to assert in the second sentence ? In 
the third and fourth sentences ? 

Does the word shot express action ? 

What word in the second sentence expresses action? In 
the third sentence ? In the fourth sentence ? 

Besides making assertions, such words as shot, blooms, 
covered, and caught express action, and may therefore be 
called action words. They are also called verbs. We will 
call them verbs because this name is shorter. 

When we make a statement we assert something about 
something else. A statement, therefore, is an assertion. 

LXXXIII. PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Select the verbs in tlie following sets of 
statements ; then zurite each set as a single sentence : — 

1. A horse walks. 2. The boys rowed. 

A horse trots. The boys fished. 

A horse gallops. The boys bathed. 



93 

COMBINED. 

i. A horse walks, trots, and gallops. 
2. The boys rowed, fished, and bathed. 

Things to Notice. — In each of these two sentences the 
verbs are separated from each other by commas. 

When more than two verbs directly follow each other, 
they should be separated by commas, unless they are all 
joined by a connecting word. 

Things to Do. — Write the following sentences from dic- 
tation, and punctuate properly : — 

i. The farmer plows, sows, and gathers his harvest. 

2. The man rose, looked around, and then sat down. 

3. This boy studies diligently, recites correctly, and 

improves rapidly. 

4. This lady sings finely, plays correctly, and fingers 

admirably. 

Things to Notice. — Sometimes a verb is made up of 
more than one word, as in the following sentences : — 

1. Mary will go to school to-morrow. 

2. William has done his work well. 

3. Some boys can draw nicely. 

4. The girls have been writing a long time. 

Things to Do. — Write six sentences, using each of the 
follozuing verbs : — 

will stay have seen may go 

can see will write has found 



94 

LXXXIV. A COMPOSITION. 



Things to Do. — Give the reason for the use of each mark 
of punctuation in the following description : — 

THE HAND. 

The hand is one of the most useful parts of the 
body. Each hand has a back, a palm, a thumb, and 
four fingers. 

The finger next to the thumb is the forefinger. 
The one next to this is the middle finger. How 
long and large the middle finger is ! Did you ever 
notice this ? The third finger is called the ring 
finger. Do you know the name of the fourth 
finger ? 

With the aid of the fingers we write, draw, sew, 
knit, play on musical instruments, and do many 
other things. 

Write the above from dictation, being careful to punctuate 
aiid paragraph properly. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson write in solid form on the 
blackboard, omitting punctuation marks and capitals, and require pupils 
to break up into sentences and paragraphs properly. Another lesson 
may be a reproduction in the pupils' 1 own language. 



LXXXV. VERBS THAT ONLY ASSERT. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

i. The earth is round. 
2. These apples are large. 



95 

3. The boys look happy. 

» 4. The boy was hungry. 

5. This apple was sour. 

6. The girls seem pleased. 

Things to Notice. — In the first sentence what word is 
used to assert roundness of the earth ? Does is express 
action ? 

What is the asserting word in the second sentence ? 

What is the asserting word in each of the other sen- 
tences ? 

None of the verbs in these six sentences express action, 
but each asserts. We learned in a previous lesson that 
some verbs express action when they assert. There are 
only a few words that simply assert. These few words 
are also called verbs. 

A word that expresses action or that simply makes an 
assertion is a verb. 

LXXXVI. COMPOSITION. 

Things to Do. — Write a composition about " Slioes" 
being guided by the following outline : — 



Subject: shoes. 

What made of in this country. 
Names of parts of a shoe. 
Different kinds of leather for parts. 
How the parts are fastened together. 
Overshoes, and what made of. 
Uses of both kinds of shoes. 



9 6 

To the Teacher. — Before the pupils begin to write, the teacher 
should talk to them about the subject of the composition, and see that 
they have, at least, the information suggested in the outline. 



LXXXVII. VERBS: PRESENT, PAST, AND FUTURE TIME. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

i. I speak to you now. 

2. I spoke to you yesterday. 

3. I will speak to you to-morrow. 

Things to Notice. — In every sentence the verb refers 
to some time, either present, or past, or future. 

Time uozu means present time. 

Time gone means past time. 

Time to come means future time. 

What time does the verb express in the first sentence 
you have written ? In the second sentence ? What is 
the verb in the third sentence, and what time does it 
express ? 

Things to Do. — Change the verbs in the following sen- 
tences so as to express past time : — 

i. James likes his school. 4. We like our teacher. 

2. I miss my lessons. 5. He likes the country. 

3. Sarah mends stockings. 6. They see their faults. 

Things to Do. — Supply the blanks in the sentences on 
the next page zvith the present or past forms of such of the 
verbs found belozv as the sense may require, and tell the 
time each verb expresses. 



97 

i. I him an hour ago. 

2. That boy a snowball at me yesterday. 

3. My father me early every morning. 

4. Boys play better than study. 

5. I late yesterday. 

6. William some water a minute ago. 

7. Mary always her work nicely. 

- four miles yesterday. 

— in our garden last June. 



8. My brother - 

9. Yellow roses 



Present Forms. 



see 

throw 

call 

like 

am 



sees 

throws 

calls 

likes 

is 



Past Forms. 

saw 

threw 

called 

liked 

was 



Present Forms. 


Past Forms. 


draw 


draws 


drew 


do 


does 


did 


walk 


walks 


walked 


grow 


grows 


grew 


go 


goes 


went 



Things to Do. 



Change the verbs in the exercise in Les- 



son LXXVII. to express present time. 



LXXXVIII. JOINING SENTENCES. 

Things to Do. — Write each of the following sets of state- 
ments as a single sentence, using as connectives the words 
in parentheses immediately preceding each set. Choose for 
yourself the connecting words for the last set. 

(over which — but) 
1. The boys came to a river. 
They wished to cross the river. 
The water was too deep for them to wade. 

LES. IN LANG. — 7 



COMBINED. 

The boys came to a river over which they wished 
to cross, but the water was too deep for them to 
wade. 

(but — under which) 

2. It was raining very fast. 

We soon came to a shed by the road. 
We hurried under the shed for shelter. 

(to whom — and) 

3. You spoke to a boy this morning. 
He is my cousin. 

His father is a druggist. 

(from which) 

4. The boy is on the roof of a building. 
The building is burning. 

The boy cannot escape. 

( ) 

5. The man suddenly left his employer. 
The man had worked for him five years. 

He was soon very sorry he had acted so hastily. 

Things to Do. — Read the combined, sentences, and correct 
any mistakes in the combination. 

To the Teacher. — This lesson should often be taken in review. 



99 

LXXXIX. REPRODUCTION. 

Things to Do. — Read the following composition care- 
fully, and tell where yon think it should be divided so as 
to make five paragrapJis ; then copy, separating it into five 
paragraphs, and punctuating properly : — 

FIDO'S FRIEND. 

Little Fido was very thirsty, for it was a hot day, 
and his pan had not been filled with water that 
morning. Nobody seemed to understand how very, 
very thirsty he was. The cook drove him out of 
the kitchen when he pulled her dress and whined ; 
and when he tried to share pussy's milk, she boxed 
his ears with her sharp claws. At last, seeing little 
Lena sitting on the porch, Fido went to her, think- 
ing she would know what he wanted. He took her 
dress in his teeth and pulled her towards the kitchen 
sink. Then he sat up on his hind legs and begged 
very hard. Lena climbed upon a chair near the sink, 
turned the faucet, and filled the pan with fresh, cool 
water for the poor dog. He drank every drop, and 
then wagged his tail and put his cold nose into 
Lena's hand, as if he wanted to say, " You are my 
good friend ; thank you." 

To the Teacher. — Dictate the above story to be written, telling 
the pupils where each sentence and paragraph ends. Read the story 
aloud slowly and carefully once, then require pupils to reproduce in 
their own language. Let the pupils read carefully, changing every 
verb here expressed in past time so that it shall express present time. 



IOO 
XC. NOUNS MEANING MORE THAN ONE. 

Things to Do. — Spell both forms of the follozving 



us : — 




loaf 


loaves 


life 


lives 


leaf 


leaves 


knife 


knives 


elf 


elves 


wife 


wives 


beef 


beeves 


thief 


thieves 



half 


halves 


calf 


calves 


sheaf 


sheaves 


self 


selves 


staff 


staves 


wharf 


wharves 


shelf 


shelves 


wolf 


wolves 



Things to Notice. — With what letter does loaf end ? 
Is es added to f to form loaves ? In loaves what letter is 
used in the place of f in loaf? 

In lives v is used in place of what two letters ? 

Nouns ending in / or fe are usually made to mean more 
than one by changing f or fe to v, and then adding es. 



XCI. NOUNS, POSSESSIVE FORM. 

Things to Do. — Write the following nouns in a column. 
Opposite each zvrite the word in its form meaning more 
than one ; then change the nouns in each column into the 
possessive form : — 



lady 


girl 


woman 


bird 


fox 


thief 


country 


robin 


wolf 


turkey 


journey 


man 



IOI 

Things to Do. — Supply the blank in each of the follow- 
ing sentences with the possessive form of one of the pre- 
ceding twelve nouns, taking tJiem in the order given : — 

i. These gloves are of fine quality. 

2. This husband is a merchant. 

3. These skins are quite valuable. 

4. Those teacher writes beautifully. 

5. That father is a respectable man. 

6. This wing is delicious. 

7. Those skins have been sold. 

8. Our flag floats o'er land and sea. 

9. We have arrived at our end. 

10. Those e gg s are ver y pretty. 

1 1. That wing is broken. 

12. Those overcoats may be stolen. 

XCII. BROKEN QUOTATIONS. 
Things to Do. — Read this fable carefully : — 
THE FOWLER AND THE BIRDS. 

A fowler once caught a fine lot of birds in his 
nets. In killing some of them he wounded his 
hand so severely that he shed tears on account of 
the pain he suffered. 

" See," said a young bird, " he shows signs of pity 
for us." " Don't mind his tears," said an old bird, 
" but look at his bloody hands." 



102 

Things to Notice. — What words break into the first 
quotation ? What punctuation mark is placed before and 
after these words ? Are both parts of the quotation 
inclosed in quotation marks ? 

Each part of a broken quotation should be inclosed in 
quotation marks, and the intervening words are usually 
set off by commas. 

Things to Do. — Write the fable from dictation. 

XCIII. THINGS TO REMEMBER. 

Every line of poetry should begin with a capital letter. 

When a quotation is a complete sentence, it should begin 
with a capital letter. 

Use has in making statements or in asking questions about 
one person or thing. 

Use have in making statements or in asking questions about 
more than one person or thing. 

Use have in a statement or a question about one person when 
I stands for that person. 

This refers to one object near the speaker ; that, to one 
object farther away. 

These refers to two or more objects near the speaker ; those, 
to two or more objects farther away. 

When a name ends with y, having a, e, or o before it, s only 
is added to make it mean more than one. 

Other names ending in y change the y to i and add es to 
mean more than one. 

A noun is a word used as a name. 

A pronoun is a word used in place of a name. 

A word that expresses an action, or that simply makes an 
assertion, is called a verb. 



io3 

When more than two verbs directly follow each other, they 
should be separated by commas, unless they are all joined by a 
connecting word. 

Nouns ending in t or fe are usually made to mean more than 
one by changing f or fe to v, and then adding es. 

Each part of a broken quotation should be inclosed in quota- 
tion marks, and the intervening words are usually set off by 
commas. 

XCIV. VERBS, PROGRESSIVE FORM. 

i. John is writing. 
2. John was writing. 

Things to Notice. — Does the verb in the first sentence 
indicate past, present, or future time ? Does it express an 
act as going on or in progress in present time ? 

What time does the verb in the second sentence indi- 
cate ? Does it express an act in progress in past time ? 
A verb may express an action as in progress either in 
present or in past time. 

Because such a form of verb as is writing or was 
writing expresses an act in progress, it is called the 
progressive form. 

Things to Do. — Mention the verbs that are in the pro- 
gressive form in the following sentences, and tell the time 
to which each refers : — 

i. I learn easily. 5. I skated last week. 

2. I am learning now. 6. I was skating yesterday. 

3. He learns every day. 7. He skated with me. 

4. He is learning now, 8. He was skating with me. 



104 

Things to Do. — Write seittences, using in each one of the 
following verbs in the pivgressive form : — 



blow 


jump 


talk 


lend 


drive 


come 


taste 


stand 


run 


live 


waste 


tell 


fall 


give 


ride 


sing 



XCV. JOINING SENTENCES. 

Things to Do. — Combine each of tlie following sets of 
statements into a single sentence, and punctuate pi'operly. 
Begin each sentence with " TJiei'e" 

Caution. — Do not use their for there. 

i. There is a book on my desk. 
There is a pencil on my desk. 

COMBINED. 

There are a book and a pencil on my desk. 

2. There is lettuce in the garden. 
There is parsley in the garden. 

3. There is an oak on the lawn. 
There is an elm on the lawn. 
There is a maple on the lawn. 

4. There is a hat in the hall. 
There is a coat in the hall. 
There is an umbrella in the hall. 



105 

5. There is ink on the table. 
There is paper on the table. 
There is a pen on the table. 

6. There is a knife by your plate. 
There is a fork by your plate. 
There is a spoon by your plate. 

7. There is meat in the basket. 
There is bread in the basket. 
There is pie in the basket. 
There is cheese in the basket. 



XCVI. A AND AN. 

Things to Do. — Write the words given in each column 
below: — 



an ape 


a bird 


a jug 


a pie 


a view 


an ear 


a cup 


a kite 


a queen 


a wafer 


an ivy 


a dish 


a log 


a rose 


a zebra 


an owl 


a gun 


a man 


a seat 


a yam 


an urn 


a host 


a nut 


a top 


a zone 



Things to Notice. — What word is used before the names 
in the first column ? What is the first letter of each of 
these names ? What word is used before the names in 
the other columns ? Does any name in these other 
columns begin with the same letter as any name in 
the first column ; that is, with a, e, i, 0, or u ? 



io6 

The letters a, e, i, o, u, are called vowels, and when a 
word begins with one of these letters it usually begins 
with a vowel sound. 

The other letters of the alphabet are called consonants, 
and a word beginning with a consonant usually begins 
with a consonant sound. 

Use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound ; as, 
an ox, an angry boy. 

Use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound ; 
as, a tree, a sweet apple. 

Things to Do. — Read the following sentences, using an 
or a in the blank spaces, a7id give the reason for its use 
in each place : — 

i. I have dog. 

2. I have ugly dog. 

3. We had easy lesson. 

4. We had hard lesson. 

5. Is this iron gate ? 

6. This is strong string. 

7. I see elm. 

8. I see tall elm. 

9. I have old knife. 

10. I have rusty knife. 

11. Did John catch owl ? 

12. John caught screech owl. 

Write the sentences from dictation, giving attention to 
capitals and punctuation. 



io7 

Things to Notice. — In speaking such words as use, 
unit, union, one, herb, hour, and Jwnest, the first sound 
heard is not the sound of the first letter. 

The word union begins with the consonant sound of y, 
as if it were spelled j/union. The word one begins with 
the consonant sound of w, as if it were spelled wun. 
Therefore we say, a union, a unit, such a one. 

The word hour begins with the vowel sound of o, the h 
being silent ; therefore we say, an hour, an honest man. 

The letters w and y are sometimes vowels, but not when 
they begin words. 

Things to Do. — Write the following sentences, using an 
or a in the blank spaces : — 

i. unit means one. 



2. Catnip is herb. 

3. I have one-horse sleigh. 

4. Never speak unkind word. 

5. This is useful tool. 

6. We own humble cottage. 

7. This will take half hour. 

8. He is honest man. 

9. They made united effort. 

10. The man made humorous speech. 

11. He did honorable act. 

12. I saw useful invention. 

13. He has hasty temper. 

14. This is unfinished letter. 

15. We found old rusty knife. 



io8 



XCVII. REPRODUCTION AND PUNCTUATION. 




Things to Do. — Make an exact copy of the following 
selection for a lesson in poetic form and punctuation : — 



THE DIFFERENCE. 

Two little sand heaps by the sea, 
As much alike as pea and pea. 

Beside one heap a little lad, 

With serious eyes, and all intent 

Upon his work, with patience had 
Molded a mound ; and as I went 

Past him, I wondered what it meant. 
" A pie ? " I asked. " A fort," said he. 



109 

Beside the other pile of sand 

There sat a tiny gold-haired maid. 

She patted with her baby hand 

The warm, white hillock ; and I said, 

" That is a noble fort you've made." 
" No, 'tis a pie," she answered me. 

The boy would be a patriot brave ; 
A housewife would his sister be. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson have pupils read the selec- 
tion, question carefully as to its meaning, then require them to repro- 
duce in their own words. 

XCVIII. WORDS USED TO QUALIFY. 

i. The yellow apple fell. 

2. These are small potatoes. 

3. He drew a straight line. 

4. This heavy bundle tires me. 

5. A stone is hard. 

6. It is smooth glass. 

7. The orange is sweet. 

8. The rose is fragrant. 

9. The boy is lazy. 
10. The girl is pretty. 

Things to Notice. — Does the first sentence contain the 
name of a thing or object? Does it also contain a word 
used to describe or qualify this object ? Does the second 
sentence contain a word used for a like purpose ? Does 
the fifth sentence ? 



no 

Words such as yellow, small, hard, and the like, which 
are used to describe or qualify things or objects, are called 
adjectives. 

Things to Do. — Write the ten sentences given above. 
Point out the qualifying words, and tell what word each 
qualifies or describes. Write five sentences similar to the 
above, each containing tJie name of an object and a word 
used to qualify or describe it. 

XCIX. ADJECTIVES AND PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Select the qualifying words in these tzvo 
sets of statements, and tell what noun each quality word 
refers to. Then combine each set of sentences into a single 
sentence and write it : — 

i. The storm was short. 
The storm was sudden. 
The storm was severe. 
It was destructive. 

2. The baby has pretty eyes. 
The baby has large eyes. 
The baby has bright eyes. 
The baby has blue eyes. 

COMBINED. 

i. The storm was short, sudden, severe, and de- 
structive. 
2. The baby has pretty, large, bright, blue eyes. 



Things to Notice. — What kind of words are separated 
by commas in the first sentence ? What connecting word 
might be used in place of the first two commas ? Why 
is and omitted in these two peaces ? How many qualify- 
ing words are there in this sentence? Do these quali- 
fying words precede, or follow, the noun to which they 
refer ? 

Which are the qualifying words in the second sentence ? 
Do they precede the noun to which they refer, or do they 
follow it ? Are the last two qualifying words in the first 
sentence connected by and? 

When two or more adjectives follow each other in 
succession before the noun to which they refer (as in the 
second sentence), the connective word is generally omitted 
between the last two. 

Adjectives following each other in succession should be 
separated by commas. 

Things to Do. — Write from dictation the following sen- 
tences, punctuate properly, arid tell why certain words are 
followed by commas : — 

i. The oriole's song is sweet, clear, and musical. 

2. The workman dug a large, square, deep hole. 

3. The elephant's neck is short, thick, and strong. 

4. John caught a trout, a bass, and a pickerel. 

5. Plants grow, bud, bloom, and decay. 

6. The short, sudden storm was severe and destruc- 

tive. 

7. I have a large, ripe, juicy orange. 



112 

Things to Notice. — When and is omitted between two 
adjectives only, they should be separated by a comma, as 

in the sixth sentence. 

% 
Things to Do. — Fill the blanks in the following sentences 
with statable qualifying words : — 

i. The air was filled with the songs of birds. 

2. This pointer is and slim. 

3. The child has a , face. 

4. The swan's neck is and -. 

5. The orange has a , rind. 

6. The lawn is , , and . 

7. This flower is and . 

Things to Do. — Use as many suitable qualifying words 
zvith each of the following nouns as you can think of, being 
careful to change a to an, or an to a when necessary : — 



a melon 


an orange 


an apple 


a flower 


a river 


a tree 


a house 


a man 


a sister 


an uncle 


an aunt 


a brother 



C. JOINING SENTENCES. 

Things to Do. — Combine each of the follozving sets of 
statements into a single sentence, being carefitl to punctuate 
properly : — 

i. My father went to Paris. 2. Mary has fine hair. 
My mother went to Paris. Her hair is long. 

My sister went also. Her hair is wavy. 



H3 



3. The water was smooth. 
The water was clear. 
The water was cold. 

It was very deep. 

4. This lady sings sweetly. 
This lady plays correctly. 
She ringers finely. 

She fingers gracefully. 



5. Glass is hard. 
Glass is brittle. 
Glass is smooth. 
It is transparent. 

6. Wasps are insects. 
Beetles are insects. 
Flies are insects. 
Bees are insects. 



CI. ACTIONS: HOW THEY ARE PERFORMED. 



i. He speaks distinctly. 

2. Mary plays finely. 

3. This horse trots rapidly. 

4. The eagle flies swiftly. 



5. Edith writes easily. 

6. Sarah sews neatly. 

7. Snow falls quietly. 

8. Birds sing sweetly. 



Things to Notice. — In the first sentence what word tells 
how the person speaks ? In the second sentence what does 
finely tell about plays f Is there a word in each of the 
other sentences that tells how the action is performed ? 
Mention them. 

It will thus be noticed that these words are also qualify- 
ing words, but they qualify actions. 

Words used to qualify action words, or verbs, are called 
adverbs. 

Things to Do. — Mention the verb in each of the above 
sentences, and also the adverb or zvord that tells how the 
action is performed. 

LES. IN LANG. 8 



ii4 

Combine each of the following sets of statements into 
a single sentence, writing on your slates, and punctuating 
properly : — 

i. She struggled bravely. 
She struggled patiently. 
She struggled hopefully. 

2. He answered promptly. 
He answered respectfully. 
He answered distinctly. 

3. They labored intelligently. 
They labored faithfully. 
They labored diligently. 

COMBINED. 

1. She struggled bravely, patiently, and hopefully. 

2. He answered promptly, respectfully, and dis- 

tinctly. 

3. They labored intelligently, faithfully, and dili- 

gently. 

Things to Notice. — When adverbs follow each other in 
succession, they should be separated by commas. 

Things to Do. — Construct sentences, using one of the 
following words in each : — 

quickly firmly quietly fast 

plainly soon diligently truly 

slowly hastily rapidly swiftly 



H5 

Things to Do. — Write the following sentences, filling 
each blank with a suitable word, telling how the action is 
performed : — 

i. I sprained my arm very . 

2. John explained the problem. 

3. Our dog barked — — at the stranger. 

4. That boy speaks to his teacher. 

5. The carpenter did his work . 

CII. ACTIONS, WHEN AND WHERE. 

i. The boys went early. 5. The boat landed here. 

2. He will arrive soon. 6. The bird flew away. 

3. We often see him. 7. We will land yonder. 

4. He seldom smiles. 8. Air exists everywhere. 

Things to Notice. — Is there a word which qualifies the 
action in the first sentence ? In the fifth sentence ? Then, 
since early and here are used to qualify the action, they 
must be adverbs. Does early tell how, or when, the action 
was performed? Does Jicre tell how, when, or where the 
action was performed? Adverbs may indicate how, when, 
or where an action is performed. 

Things to Do. — Mention the verb in each of the above 
sentences, and also the adverb that tells when or where the 
action is performed. 

Mention the zvords in the folloiving sentences that tell 
how, that tell when, and that tell where, and notice that 
two such zvords occur in some of the sentences. 



n6 

i. The crocus always blooms early. 

2. Boys often act unwisely. 

3. William generally recites his lesson correctly. 

4. The stars sometimes shine brightly. 

5. Charles usually goes to school early. 

6. Yesterday we had good skating. 

7. We shall start at ten o'clock to-day. 



CIII. JOINING SENTENCES. 

Things to Do. — Combine {first orally, and then in 
zvriting) each of the following sets of statements into a 
single sentence, being careful to put the words that tell how, 
when, and where in the place where they will make the 
best sense {this is generally as near the verb as possible) : — 

i. Mary writes well. 4. John made a mistake. 

She does so always. He seldom does so. 

2. The bee is busy. 5. Paul's watch is new. 
The bee gathers honey. It is a gold watch. 

It gathers it daily. He winds it carefully. 

3. John went to school. 6. Swans curve their necks. 
Mary went to school. They do so gracefully. 
They went willingly. They always do so. 

Things to Do. — Combine, both orally and in writing, 
each of the following sets of statements into a single sen- 
tence. Punctuate properly. 



ii7 

i. Jo studies diligently. 3. Bees sting severely. 
He recites correctly. Wasps sting severely. 

He improves rapidly. Hornets sting severely. 

2. The weather was hot. 4. Jane sews neatly. 
It was damp. Jane sews rapidly. 

It was unhealthy. Jane sews steadily. 



CIV. CHANGING POETRY TO PROSE. 

Things to Do. — Write these two stanzas of poetry, 
noticing where and how each line begins, and what punc- 
tuation marks are used. 

THE THOUGHTLESS BOY. 

There was an urchin of the town, 

Who, on his way to school, 
Whene'er his comrades tumbled down, 

Would laugh in ridicule. 

But when it was himself who fell, — 

As sometimes he did fall, — 
He neither bore it very well, 

Nor saw the joke at all. 

Now write in your own words the story of the poetry, 
adding any thoughts you may have as to the lesson it 
teaches. 



n8 

CV. PRONOUNS AFTER IS AND WAS. 

Things to Do. — Read the following expressions rapidly 
aronnd the class to practice the ear in the correct use of 
I, we, he, she, and they, after the verbs is and was. 



It is I. 


Is it I ? 




Isn't it I ? 


It is he. 


Is it he ? 




Isn't it he? 


It is she. 


Is it she ? 




Isn't it she ? 


It is we. 


Is it we ? 




Isn't it we ? 


It is they. 


Is it they ? 




Isn't it they? 


It was I. 


Was it I ? 




Wasn't it I ? 


It was he. 


Was it he ? 




W r asn't it he ? 


It was she. 


Was it she ? 




Wasn't it she ? 


It was we. 


Was it we ? 




Wasn't it we ? 


It was they. 


Was it they 


? 


Wasn't it they ? 


It is not I. 


It 


was not I. 


It is not he. 


It 


was not he. 


It is not she. 


It 


was not she. 


It is not 


we. 


It 


was not we. 


It is not 


they. 


It 


was not they. 



Caution. — Never say, "It was me" " It was him" 
" It was her" " It was us," " It was not me" etc. 



To the Teacher. — This exercise should be repeated from time to 
time. Other words may be added on a second reading; as, "It was 
I that did it." 



ii9 

CVI. LETTER WRITING. 

Things to Do. — Read the following letter, and give 
reasons for the tise of every mark of punctuation^ and for 
the division of the letter into paragraphs. 

Brooklyn, N.Y., Feb. 17, 1891. 
Dear Susie, 

One day last week Miss Goodheart took me to 
visit a poor, sick boy. She had in a basket some 
fruit and crackers, and a bunch of beautiful flowers. 

After going through a long, narrow street, we 
came to the house where poor little Jamie's mother 
lived. Climbing three flights of broken stairs, we 
found the poor boy lying on a cot. 

" Good morning, Miss Goodheart," said the little 
fellow, " you are very kind to come to see me." 
But when she showed him what she had brought 
for him, he exclaimed, " How very kind you are ! " 

Miss G. arranged the flowers in an old pitcher, 
and placed them by the sick boy's cot. She then 
prepared some food for him to eat, after which we 
bade him good-by and returned home. 

Poor Jamie ! He will never get well ; for two 
years ago he fell down the long, narrow, shaky 
stairs, and severely injured his back. Do you think 
you would like to make such a visit ? 

. Elaine St. Clair. 

Miss Susie Stevens. 



120 

To the Teacher. — Dictate the preceding letter for a written exer- 
cise, indicating the end of each sentence and paragraph. 



CVII. PRONOUNS, OBJECT FORM. 

i. He loves mother. 

2. Mother loves him. 

3. She and I love you. 

4. You love her and me. 

5. They own the apples. 

6. The apples belong to them. 

7. We eat the figs. 

8. The figs are eaten by us. 

Things to Notice. — In reading the first and second sen- 
tences observe that two pronouns are used which evidently 
stand for the same person, and yet they have different 
forms. He is used in the first sentence, and him in the 
second. She and / are used in the third sentence, but 
her and me in the fourth. They is used in the fifth, and 
them in the sixth ; we in the seventh, and us in the 
eighth. 

Now observe that I, he, she, they, we, are the subjects 
of the sentences in which they occur ; that is, they stand 
for the persons about whom a statement is made. They 
are called the subject forms of pronouns. Notice that 
these forms occur near the beginning of the sentences. 

Now observe that him, her, me, them, and us are not the 
subjects of the sentences in which they occur. These 
words occur after the verbs, and near the end of the 



121 

sentences. They are called the object forms of pronouns. 
Comparing the third and fourth sentences, you will observe 
that you is both a subject form and an object form. 

The subject form of pronouns is generally used before the 
verb in a statement, and the object form after a verb that 
expresses action. 

Things to Do. — Read the following sentences aloud 
carefully several times : — 

i. I will sit between you and her. 

2. The apples belong to Paul and me. 

3. He divided the oranges between her and me. 

4. These figs are for him and her. 

5. The apples were divided between him and me. 

Things to Do. — Fill the blanks in the following sen- 
tences with the correct pronoun forms : — 

1. Mary can sit between and . 

2. Father just called and . 



3. Those books belong to and . 

4. saw and yesterday. 

5. bought these oranges for and 

6. The fault lies between and . 



CVIII. REPRODUCTION AND PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Write the following, separating it into 
three paragraplis, usi?tg punctuation marks and capitals 
properly. 



122 
THE MOON. 

To the naked eye the moon appears to be larger 
than the sun, but it is really the smallest body that 
we can usually see in the sky. It appears so large 
because it is so much nearer to us than the other 
heavenly bodies are. The pale, silvery light of the 
moon makes night cheerful. We have only one 
moon, and when it shines we enjoy its soft, mellow 
light. How pleasant it would be if we had four, six, 
or eight moons, as some of the planets have. Do 
you know the names of these planets ? 

CIX. WHO, WHICH, AND THAT. 

i. The man who fell broke his leg. 

2. I found the key which was lost. 

3. The boy that studies will improve. 

4. The fish that you caught is a trout. 

5. There is the man whom I dislike. 

Things to Notice. — In the first sentence does the pro- 
noun who refer to a person, or to a thing ? Does which 
in the second sentence refer to a person ? 

What does that refer to in the third sentence ? In the 
fourth sentence does that refer to a person, or to a thing ? 

Who (subject form) and whom (object form) are used to 
refer to persons only. 

Which is used to refer to animals or to things. 

That is used to refer to persons, to animals, or to things. 






123 

Things to Do. — Read carefully the following sentences, 
filling the blank spaces with which, who, or whom ; then 
read more rapidly around the entire class : — 

i. Did you lose the pencil I gave you? 

2. We know the boy — • — broke the window. 

3. The horse ran away was injured. 

4. The man we just met is blind. 

5. With were you walking yesterday? 

6. The man for we work gives good wages. 

7. From did you receive such advice ? 

8. There goes the man of you spoke. 

9. The lady spoke to you is an artist. 

10. Avoid people you cannot trust. 

For another lesson write the sentences, filling tJie blanks 



CX. JOINING SENTENCES. 

Things to Do. — Combine each of the following sets of 
statements into one sentence, using any of the following 
words and expressions in making the combination : which, 
that, whose, whose — and, of which — and. Change any 
word if it will improve the sense. 

1. The blacksmith wears a leather apron. 
This apron protects his clothes. 



2. The root is a part of the plant. 
The root grows in the ground. 



124 

3- The blacksmith's anvil is made of steel. 
The anvil will bear heavy blows. 

4. Joe is gathering some flowers. 
His father is a florist. 

He is gathering them for his cousin Belle. 

5. I know a young lady. 
Her name is Beatrice. 
She sings very sweetly. 

6. We climbed the mountain. 

From its top we could see another mountain. 
We could also see a lake. 
We could see a long river. 

To the Teacher. — For another lesson write the sets of statements 
on the blackboard, and require pupils to make the combinations, no 
connectives being indicated. 

CXI. ADJECTIVES: COMPARISON. 

i. I have a long pencil. 

2. You have a longer pencil. 

3. He has the longest pencil of the" three. 

4. I have a sweet orange. 

5. You have a sweeter orange. 

6. He has the sweetest orange of the three. 

Things to Notice. — In the second sentence what sylla- 
ble is added to long to show a greater degree of length ? 
In the third sentence what syllable is added to long to 



125 

show that the pencil spoken of has the greatest length of 
the three ? 

In the sixth sentence what syllable is added to show 
that the orange spoken of has the greatest degree of 
sweetness of the three ? 



Things to Do. — Use the proper form of these quality 
words in the follozving sentences : — 



strong 
heavy 



tall 
large 



hard 
soft 



small 
sweet 



I feel to-day than I did yesterday. 

Lead is than iron. 

John is the of the four brothers. 

The Amazon is the river in the world. 

Iron is than lead. 

Your orange is than mine, but mine is 

the . 



good food. 
bad work. 
little patience. 
many books. 



CXII. ADJECTIVES. 

better food. 
worse work. 
less patience. 
more books. 



best food. 
worst work. 
least patience. 
most books. 



Things to Notice. — What is the first adjective used 
with the noun food, above ? What is the second ? The 
third ? Are er and est added to good to show different 
degrees of quality of food ? Are good and better entirely 
different words ? 



126 

What adjective is used to indicate a poor quality of 
work? What adjectives to show a poorer quality of work? 
Are bad and worse entirely different words ? 

We see, then, that some adjectives, instead of adding er 
and est, change their form entirely to show difference in 
degree of quality. 

Things to Do. — Write {or form orally) sentences con- 
taining the twelve preceding adjectives and the nouns with 
zv /rich they are used ; as, — 

1. This is bad work. 

2. This is worse work than yours. 

3. This is the worst work I have seen. 

Things to Notice. — Notice in each of the two following 
sentences that roses are compared as to the degree of their 
beauty : — 

1. This rose is more beautiful than yours. 

2. This is the most beautiful rose in the garden. 

How many syllables in the adjective beautiful? In the 
first sentence what noun does beautiful refer to, or qualify ? 
What word is used directly before beautiful? What word 
is used before beautiful in the second sentence ? Is it 
easy to pronounce beautiful-er? 

Most adjectives of two or more syllables are not easily 
pronounced when er or est is added, nor do they usually 
sound well. It is not easy to say beautifukr or beautiful- 
est ; we therefore say more beautiful and most beautiful 

When do we use more and most before adjectives to 
show different degrees of quality possessed by persons or 



127 

things ? When do we add er and est to adjectives to show 
this difference ? 

Things to Do. — Write sentences in which a comparison 
will be made between two or more persons or tilings, using, 
in each, one of the following adjectives : — 

studious generous rough bitter 

honest patient smooth modest 

Things to Notice. — Adjectives of two syllables ending 
in y, and a few others, add er and est to show difference 
in degree, without an unpleasant sound ; as, — 

lovely view. lovelier view. loveliest view. 

narrow margin. narrower margin. narrowest margin. 
pleasant day. pleasanter day. pleasantest day. 

CXIII. REPRODUCTION AND PUNCTUATION. 

Things to Do. — Read the following composition, noting 
carefully the punctuatioji, capitals, etc. In reading the dates 
the 12 should be read twelfth, and the 15 should be read 
fifteenth, and 4 should be read fourth. 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 

Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, 
and he died April 15, 1865. When he was about 
twelve years old, his father's family moved from 
Kentucky to Indiana. There they lived in a log 
cabin surrounded by forest trees, among which 
were oaks, beeches, and walnuts. The woods 



128 

around were inhabited by bears, deer, and wild 
turkeys. 

Young Lincoln was tall, thin, and awkward. 
His mother taught him to read, write, and cipher. 
He attended school for about a year only, but he 
studied faithfully both at school and at home. 

In his youth he read a few books, but he read 
them thoroughly. As he grew older he worked all 
day and studied hard at night, and finally became 
a successful lawyer. He was made President of 
the United States March 4, 1861. 

To the Teacher. — Dictate for a lesson in punctuation. 

CXIV. SET AND SIT. 
Things to Do. — Write tJie following sentences : — 

1. Mary, set the lamp on the table. 

2. I set the box on the platform. 

3. I have set the vase on the shelf. 

4. I will set the pail in the sink. 

Things to Notice. — -When we set a lamp on a table, we 
place or put it there. To set means to place or put. 

Present Form. Past Form. 

set [to place]. set [placed]. 

When we speak of placing such a thing as a lamp or a 
pitcher on the table, or any other place, we should use set. 



129 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

I sit in this chair often. 
I sat in it yesterday. 
I have sat in it many times. 
I had sat in it before. 
I shall sit in it again. 
The jar sits on the shelf. 



Things to Notice. — 

sit means rest. 

Present Form. 

sit [to rest]. 



When we sit, we rest. The verb 

Past Form. 

sat [rested]. 



In speaking of a person resting, as on a chair, or of 
anything resting where it has been placed, we should use 
sit or sat. 

What is the meaning of the verb sit ? What is the past 
form of sit? Is it correct to use the verb set when we 
speak of resting ? When I say I set the lamp on the 
table, do I mean that it rests there, or that I placed it 
there ? 

Never use set to mean rest. 



Things to Do. — Fill the blanks in the following sen- 
tences with the correct form of set or sit : — 



by her father at the table. 



i. Edith always — 

2. Did you the butter dish on the table ? 

3. Mary, the child on the floor and — 

me. 

LES. IN LANG. 9 



by 



130 

4. The box on the floor where I it. 

5. We have up late for the past three weeks. 

6. the bench near the tree, so you can 

in the shade. 

7. He is on the stoop, and he has there 

an hour. 

8. We went to the beach and on the clean 

white sand. 

CXV. PUNCTUATION AND QUOTATIONS. 

Things to Do. — Write the following sentences from dic- 
tation, being careful to punctuate properly : — 

1. John, come home. 

2. Did you hear me, John? 

3. Now, John, do you hear? 

4. " Dear me," said the old lady, " what a dreadful 

sight ! " 

5. The old man was right. He said, " God will 

send you back," and here you are. 

6. Don't forget to write your best. 

7. May I go, too? There will be two others there. 

8. He was born April 16, 1836. 

9. Here's your knife, Mr. Wright. 

10. " Where did you set the trap? " asked the boys. 

11. Where's Fred? He's behind, too. 

12. Wouldn't Henry buy it? 

13. I'm learning to draw. 



i3i 

1 4- The spider's web is broken. 

15. We have ladies' gloves for sale here. 

16. Hurrah ! our side has won. 

CXVI. LAY AND LIE. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

1. James, lay your ruler on the desk. 

2. John often lays his coat on a chair. 

3. He laid it there yesterday. 

4. You have laid your coat on my hat. 

Things to Notice. — When we lay a book on a table, we 
place or put it there. The verb lay means to place or put. 

Present Form. Past Form. 

lay [to place]. laid [placed]. 

When we speak of placing a book or a slate on a table, 
we should use lay or laid. 

Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

1. I often lie on the lounge. 

2. I lay on the lounge yesterday. 

3. I have lain here half an hour. 

4. My new book lies on the table. 

Things to Notice. — When we lie, as on a lounge, we 
rest or recline. The verb lie means rest or recline. 

Present Form. Past Form. 

lie [to rest]. lay [rested]. 



132 

In speaking of a person resting in this way, or of any- 
thing resting where it has been placed, we should use 
lie, lay, or lain. 

Things to Do. — Fill the blank in each sentence with the 
correct form of lie : — 

i. When we are weary, we down. 

2. Yesterday I on the lounge an hour. 

3. Mary's handkerchief on the bureau. 

4. Tell your dog to down. 

5. I had here an hour when you came 111. 

Things to Do. — Fill each of the blanks in the following 
sentences with the correct form of sit, set, lie, or lay : — 

i. Mabel the baby in the cradle a moment 

ago. 

2. Belle and May in the same seat. 

3. Has Mary on the lounge long? 

4. They have there for a long time. 

5. The cat on the mat fast asleep. 

6. the lamp on the shelf and let it there 

till night. 

7. Your shawl on the chair. Who it 

there ? 

8. on this chair; the other one is broken. 

9. I am so weary that I must down. 

10. I have here an hour waiting for you. 

1 1 . Why have you here so long ? 



133 

CXVII. HAVE, HAS, AND HAD AS HELPING VERBS. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — 

i. The girl has eaten her dinner. 

2. The girls have eaten their dinner. 

3. The boys had eaten their dinner before the girls. 

Things to Notice. — Have, has, or had is often used to 
help form a verb consisting of two or more words. 



Present Form. 


Past Form. 


Complete Form. 


eat, eats 


ate 


have (has or had) eaten 


see, sees 


saw 


have (has or had) seen 



What is the verb in the first sentence ? Why is has 
eaten a verb? Which of the two parts of this verb is 
the chief word in expressing the action ? Which word 
is the helper? Would the first sentence make complete 
sense if has were omitted ? Would it then be a complete 
sentence ? May we not call eaten an incomplete form of 
eat, since it requires a helping word to express complete 
action ? When used in this way, have, has, and had are 
called auxiliaries, which means helpers. 

Never use have, has, or had with the past form of the 
verb. 

CXVIIL HAVE, HAS, AND HAD AS HELPING VERBS. 

Things to Do. — Use the following verbs in sentences 
similar to the four here given (or different, as the sense may 
require)^ and notice that have and had are tised with the 
incomplete fonn to help make the complete form. Use 



134 

only a few at one time, thus making a number of lessons. 
Review this exercise frequently. 

i. John drives slowly to-day. 

2. He drove slowly yesterday. 

3. He has driven slowly all the way here, 

4. He had driven slowly before. 



Present Forms. 


Past Form. 


Complete Form. 


begin, begins 


began 


have begun 1 


bite, bites 


bit 


have bitten 


blow, blows 


blew 


have blown 


break, breaks 


broke 


have broken 


choose, chooses 


chose 


have chosen 


do, does 


did 


have done 


drink, drinks 


drank 


have drunk 


drive, drives 


drove 


have driven 


fly, flies 


flew 


have flown 


freeze, freezes 


froze 


have frozen 


give, gives 


gave 


have given 


grow, grows 


grew 


have grown 


ride, rides 


rode 


have ridden 


ring, rings 


rang 


have rung 


rise, rises 


rose 


have risen 


run, runs 


ran 


have run 


see, sees 


saw 


have seen 


shake, shakes 


shook 


have shaken 



1 Also has begun and had begun. 





135 




Present Forms. 


Past Form. 


Complete Form. 


sing, sings 


sang 


have sung 


sink, sinks 


sank 


have sunk 


speak, speaks 


spoke 


have spoken 


spring, springs 


sprang 


have sprung 


steal, steals 


stole 


have stolen 


swim, swims 


swam 


have swum 


take, takes 


took 


have taken 


write, writes 


wrote 


have written 



CXIX. USE OF SHALL AND WILL. 
Things to Do. — Write the following sentences : — ■ 

1 . Shall I close the door ? 

2. Shall we copy the lesson now ? 

3. Will he bring the oars ? 

4. Will she go with us ? 

5. Will you take the basket ? 

6. Will they take the new boat ? 

7. I shall start for home to-morrow. 

8. I shall be glad to meet your friends. 

9. I will carry the basket. 

10. I will attend to the matter. 



Things to Notice. — In asking questions with / and we, 
as in the first and second sentences, observe that shall is 
used. " Will I close the door?" is incorrect, because it 
implies that I am asking another whether I am willing 
to do something. 



136 

In the seventh and eighth sentences observe that shall 
is used, because the person speaking simply foretells what 
is to happen ; but in the ninth and tenth sentences will 
is used, because the speaker promises. 

Use shall when you foretell what will happen to your- 
self; use will when you make a promise. 

Things to Do. — Use shall or will in the blank spaces in 
these sentences : — 

i. I carry the umbrella? 

2. I try to do my best. 

3. we wait for Mary ? 

4. I stay here about a week. 

5. you help me lift this box? 

6. I attend the party this evening. 

CXX. BUSINESS LETTER. 

Things to Do. — Write the following letter from dicta- 
tion : — 

975 Dean St., Brooklyn, N.Y., 

Feb. 24, 1891. 
Harper & Brothers, 

Franklin Square, New York. 

Gentlemen : — 

Inclosed please find check for six dollars ($6) 

for one year's subscription to "Harper's Monthly 

Magazine " and " Harper's Young People," each to 

begin with the number for December, 1890. 

Yours respectfully, 

Ethan A. Spellman. 



137 

Things to Do. — Put the following in proper letter 
form : — 

I am in Cleveland, Ohio, and am about to write a letter 
to the American Book Co., Broadway, New York, ordering 
twenty dozen Spencerian copybooks, No. 5J. 

I am at 129 Macon St., Brooklyn, and am about to write 
a letter to Scribner & Welford, Broadway, New York, for 
a copy of Webster's International Dictionary, inclosing a 
check for twelve dollars and a half. 



CXXI. COMPOSITION EXERCISES. 

To the Teacher. — The following composition should be read by 
the class, and pupils should be shown as they proceed where further 
description may be added, by speaking of other similarities and differ- 
ences ; then the pupils should be required to reproduce, using their 
own language : — 

KNIVES AND SCISSORS. 

Knives and scissors belong to the class of articles 
called cutlery. A pocket knife has a handle and 
from one to four blades, which shut within the 
handle. These blades have sharp edges, and they 
open and shut with a spring. A table knife has 
a handle and only one blade, which is not movable. 

A pair of scissors has two blades, which are fas- 
tened together in the center by a pivot. The blades 
terminate in a point at the cutting end, and at the 
other, in oval-shaped handles. 



138 

Knives and scissors are both used to cut with, 
but they are used in different ways and for different 
purposes. When we cut with a knife, we use only 
one blade at a time ; but when we cut with scissors, 
both blades must be used. 

Things to Do. — Write compositions from time to time 
about each of the following pairs of objects, describing simi- 
lar ity and difference in use, appearance, etc. : — 

pens and chalk. boxes and barrels, 

clock and watch. apples and pears, 

city and country. wheat and rye. 

peas and beans. carriage and bicycle. 

Things to Do. -r— Write a composition describing a com- 
mon chair, a table, or a lamp. 

First tell what it is, then speak of its general use ; as, 
" A chair is a piece of furniture which is used to sit 
upon." 

Second, name its parts, — legs, seat, posts, back, rungs. 

Third, describe the uses of these parts. 

Things to Do. — Form outlines from time to time for 
compositions about the following objects, and then write 
compositions : — 

peach carriage fork tree desk 

fence slate book basket box 

Things to Do. — Before beginning to describe any manu- 
factured article, form an outline similar to the following : — 

1. Tell what the article is, and its general use. 

2. Mention the parts. 



139 

3. Name the material of which the article and its parts 
are made, describe the use of each, and tell how they are 
put together. 

CXXII. THINGS TO REMEMBER. 

Use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound. 

Use a before a word beginning with a consonant sound. 

When adjectives follow each other in succession, they should be 
separated by commas. 

When adverbs follow each other in succession, they should be 
separated by commas. 

The subject form of pronouns is generally used before the verb 
in a statement, and the object form usually after a verb that 
expresses action. 

Never use set to mean rest. 

Never use have, has, or had with the past form of a verb. 

Use shall when you foretell what will happen to yourself. 

Use will when you make a promise. 



ARITHMETIC 



Practical Two-Book Series. They state principles and definitions 
clearly and simply, provide plenty of practice, and are freshly written, 
attractive, carefully graded, standard works. 



MILNE'S NEW ARITHMETICS. 

Elements of Arithmetic 30 cents 

Standard Arithmetic 65 cents 

An entirely new two-book series on the inductive method. 

APPLETONS' STANDARD ARITHMETICS. 

Appletons' First Lessons 36 cents 

Appletons' Numbers Applied 75 cents 

Embodying many new and practical features. 

ROBINSON'S SHORTER COURSE. 

First Book in Arithmetic 30 cents 

Complete Arithmetic 75 cents 

Thorough, systematic, practical, economical. 

RAY'S NEW ARITHMETICS. 

New Elementary Arithmetic 35 cents 

New Practical Arithmetic 50 cents 

New Intellectual Arithmetic 25 cents 

New Higher Arithmetic 85 cents 

Philosophical in treatment — concise, simple, and clear in style. 

FISH'S NEW ARITHMETICS. 

Fish's Arithmetic, Number One 30 cents 

Fish's Arithmetic, Number Two 60 cents 

Latest and best results of Mr. Fish's life-long studies in this department. 

HARPER'S GRADED ARITHMETICS. 

Harper's First Book in Arithmetic . . . . 30 cents 
Harper's Second Book in Arithmetic 60 cents 

The minimum of theory and maximum of practice. 

WHITE'S NEW ARITHMETICS. 

White's First Book of Arithmetic 30 cents 

White's New Complete Arithmetic 65 cents 

One of the strongest and most attractive two-book series published. 



Books sent prepaid on receipt of p7 



Correspondence is invited. 



American Book Company 



New York 
(*4.) 



Cincinnati 



Chicago 



Boston 



Atlanta 



American History for Schools 

BARNES'S SERIES: 

Barnes's Primary History of the United States. By T. F. Donnelly. 

For Intermediate Classes. Fully illustrated 60 cents 

Barnes's Brief History of the United States. Revised to the present 

Administration. Richly embellished with maps and illustrations. $1.00. 

ECLECTIC SERIES: 

Eclectic Primary History of the United States. By Edward S. Ellis. 
A book for younger classes, or those who have not the time to devote 
to a more complete history 50 cents 

New Eclectic History of the United States. By M. E. Thalh-eimer. 
A revised, enlarged, and improved edition of the " Eclectic History of 
the United States." Fully illustrated with engravings, colored plates, 
etc $1.00 

EGGLESTON'S SERIES: 

Eggleston's First Book in American History. By Edward Eggles- 
ton. With Special Reference to the Lives and Deeds of Great 
Americans. Beautifully illustrated. A history for beginners on a new 
plan 60 cents 

Eggleston's History of the United States and its People. By 
Edward Eggleston. For the Use of Schools. Fully illustrated with 
engravings, maps, and colored plates $1-05 

We also publish Niles's United States History; Swinton's Series, 
two books ; and Quackenbos's Series, two books. 



General History 



Appletons' School History of the World $1.22 

Barnes's Brief General History of the World . . . . . 1.60 

Fisher's Outlines of Universal History 2.40 

Swinton's Outlines of the World's History 1.44 

The Same, in two parts, each 75 

Thalheimer's General History r.20 

Our list also includes Histories of England, France, Greece, Rome, etc., 
besides Ancient, Mediaeval, and Modern Histories and Manuals of Mythology. 

Send for Section 7, which fully describes these and other works on the same 
subject. Special terms for introduction. Correspondence invited. 

American Book Company 

New York Cincinnati Chicago Boston Atlanta 

v (*99.) 



Reading. 

Carefully-graded Series, Freshly Written, Fully Illustrated. 



APPLETONS' READERS. 

By W. T. Harris, LL.D., Andrew J. Rickoff, LL.D., and 
Mark Bailey. 



Appletons' First Reader 
Appletons' Second Reader 
Appletons' Third Reader . 
Appletons' Introductory Fourth Reader 
Appletons' Fourth Reader 
Appletons' Fifth Reader 



18 cents 
30 cents 
38 cents 
50 cents 
50 cents 
90 cents 



These readers combine the word, phonic, and alphabetic methods. 
There is throughout a definite method of instruction, easily fol- 
lowed by any teacher. The course of language lessons accom- 
panying the selections affords an unlimited amount of additional 
work. 

BARNES'S NEW NATIONAL READERS . 

Five Books. 

Barnes's New First Reader . . . .20 cents 

Barnes's New Second Reader . . . ."35 cents 

Barnes's New Third Reader . . . .50 cents 

Barnes's New Fourth Reader . . . .70 cents 

Barnes's New Fifth Reader . . . .90 cents 

Prepared on the word-method system, with frequent reviews, script 
exercises, language lessons, and outline drawings. In the 
earlier books conversational style of reading prevails ; in the 
advanced numbers a full course of instruction in elocution. 



HARPER'S NEW READERS . 

Harper's First Reader 24 cents 

Harper's Second Reader 36 cents 

Harper's Third Reader 48 cents 

Harper's Fourth Reader 60 cents 

Harper's Fifth Reader 90 cents 

Harper's Sixth Reader 90 cents 

An entirely new, carefully-graded, and richly-illustrated series, embody- 
ing the latest and most approved methods of instruction. The 
selections are fresh and entertaining, and are supplemented by 
instructive language exercises, script work, memory gems, and 
other aids to induce correct habits in reading. 

[*9l 



READING — Continued. 



McGUFFEY'S REVISED ECLECTIC SERIES. 



McGuffey's Revised First Reader . 
McGuffey's Revised Second Reader 
McGuffey's Revised Third Reader . 
McGuffey's Revised Fourth Reader 
McGuffey's Revised Fifth Reader . 
McGuffey's Revised Sixth Reader . 



. 17 cents 

. 30 cents 

. 42 cents 

. 50 cents 

. 72 cents 

. 85 cents 

In the revision of these popular books the distinctive features of the 
series have been preserved, but the matter is presented in new 
dress, with many new selections. Script Lessons in the lower 
grades, and Biographical Notes of authors in the higher. 

SWINTON'S READERS. 

Swinton's Primer and First Reader . . 25 cents 

Swinton's Second Reader 35 cents 

Swinton's Third Reader 50 cents 

Swinton's Fourth Reader 65 cents 

Swinton's Fifth Reader 90 cents 

Swinton's Sixth or Classic English Reader . $1.08 

These readers comprise a systematic succession of lessons closely re- 
lated in matter and method, and forming the basis of a. thorough 
course in language lessons. The series is complete in five books, 
yet a Sixth or Classic English Reader is provided for a broader 
and more comprehensive literary study. 

SUPPLEMENTARY READERS. 

In addition to these regular series of readers, the list of the American 
Book Company embraces several fresh and striking series of 
Supplementary Readers, including Johonnot's Historical 
Readers and Natural History Readers, McGuffey's Al- 
ternate Readers in six numbers, and Natural History 
Readers, Swinton's Advanced Readers, four books, and 
Swinton and Cathcart's Standard Supplementary Read- 
ers, six numbers. 



Correspondence in reference to the introduction of these books 
is cordially invited. Copies will be sent, postpaid, on receipt 
of above prices. Special terms made when books are exchanged. 



AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 

NEW YORK .'. CINCINNATI .*. CHICAGO 

[*io] 



